58 minute read
Chapter Eight The Fence Is Down. One Field
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE FENCE IS DOWN. ONE FIELD
Advertisement
2002. The goal of combining the two Lutheran schools in Ashmore had been achieved. The appropriate decisions had been made. The organisational and legal requirements had been met. The two schools which for so long had worked in happy and fruitful cooperation had become one and were operating as one school on two campuses with an enrolment of over 1150 students. But the work was far from complete.
Leadership decisions had to be made. In April the College Council advertised the position of Head of College of Trinity Lutheran College. In late May it announced the appointment of Mrs Ann Mitchell from 1st July 2002. Mr Peter Eckermann was appointed Head of Senior School and Mr Jeff Minge Head of Primary School, with Mrs Meryl Siggs as his Deputy. Both Heads had contracts expiring at the end of 2002.
Mrs Ann Mitchell
111
Mr Alan Jakstas Mrs Shirley Washington Mr David Lyon Mr John and Mrs Carrie Attwood
Jeff Minge accepted a renewed contract from 2003. Peter Eckermann chose to resign and to move on to other opportunities. He had led the college through a time of crisis and division and had brought healing and progress out of disunity and trauma. Mr Rob Fysh was named as Head of Senior School. The new appointees were installed in office at a church service of Living Word congregation in The Trinity Centre on 9th February 2003. Mrs Shirley Washington became Dean of Students and Mr Alan Jakstas continued in his role as Dean of Studies. As plans for the Middle School progressed, Mrs Carrie Allwood, who had a long history with the Primary School, returned to Trinity in August after a two-year absence to become Head of the future Middle School. Mr David Lyon, another longstanding member of the teaching staff, became Deputy Head of the Middle School.
After the departure of Pastors Jaensch and Koehler from chaplaincy, the college had experienced difficulty in attracting ordained chaplains whose role was now being redefined as school pastors. After Pastors Mike Neldner and Michael Alfson accepted calls to become chaplains, they joined Pastor Steve Mattner in 2003 and the college had at last its full complement of ordained pastors once again. Each was to concentrate his work in one of the three sub-schools, and it was envisaged that they would also have some involvement with the two local Lutheran congregations in order to maintain a college presence and connection, a particular need since the governance role of the congregation in the Primary School had been lost.
Mr Robin Mackenzie retained the position of Bursar of the new school with the title Director of Finance. Sadly, he fell ill in January 2003 and, despite hopes for his recovery upon his return from sick leave, he resigned in August and passed away in December 2004. His financial management skills were to be sorely missed during the financial difficulties which lay ahead. He had been a strong and stabilising influence for many years, not only in his skilled management of Trinity’s finances and strong leadership of its non-educational activities. He had also been a leading figure in the finances of the LCAQD, the Lutheran Church at the national level, and in the financial work of the LCAQD Schools Department and of some of its individual schools. His departure coincided with the emergence of difficult financial circumstances and challenging supervisory roles. Mr John Dohler, Bursar of the former primary school since 2001, had become Assistant Bursar of the college,
112
Pastor Michael Alfson Pastor Mike Neldner
and was now faced with the challenge of supervising the finances of the new school while they were still in transition, as well as the oversight of a large, complex building program. When he moved to another Lutheran school in 2004, his temporary replacement was Mr John Collins, the newly retired Bursar from Redeemer Lutheran College. It was unfortunate that this volatility occurred at the very time when stability was most urgently needed. Progress was made toward achieving this stability in 2005 when the new Bursar, Ms Donna Foxwell, brought experience and longer tenure to the college’s financial management.
Mrs Carole Morris’s position as P&F Coordinator continued, with increased hours of work and expanded responsibilities in the expanded school with its larger parent numbers and a wider range of activities to coordinate and supervise. A new fortnightly college newsletter was introduced under the title of Spirit. It has been replaced in recent times by Spirit Blog. Trinity Times is issued monthly.
Ann Mitchell’s final report in November 2001 had identified a wide range of issues requiring consideration and decision during the amalgamation process. Their number and range exemplify the complexity of the merging of the two entities. They comprised: a mission statement, enrolment systems and procedures and the status of the registrars, the roles and responsibilities of the chaplains, information technology and computer systems, a corporate/visual image, student uniforms, curriculum, buildings and infrastructure, parent and community communication including student reports, staff development and integration, integrated financial systems, pastoral care structures and processes, merging of calendars, special needs programs, staffing issues, the merging of the two P&F Associations and the two Foundations, Physical Education and sport, fee structures. The devising of an integrated fee structure proved to be a more difficult issue than had been expected. Once again open communication and careful explanations to parents were required when fees for the upper primary years underwent a sharp increase.
Decisions on most of these matters were made late in 2001 and in the first months of 2002. Some, such as buildings and infrastructure, would require constant attention and effort for many years. But the making of decisions, and even the full implementation of those decisions, could not fully resolve the issues. While excitement and hope were generated by the new developments and the opportunities they opened up, the loss of the old, the loved and the familiar also created some regret, uncertainty, and apprehension. Work would be needed in order to create new, shared, and realistic expectations. The College Councils and planning groups had been at pains to communicate their plans and decisions and the reasoning behind them to staff, parents and the wider community, but it became clear that an ongoing program of communication and explanation would still be needed. This was put in place early in the year, and also included important information about the nature and purpose of middle schooling and the progress towards the opening of the Middle School. Understanding and acceptance in the broader community were important to achieve the increased enrolment numbers required in Years 6 and 7 for 2003.
Structural and administrative integration were achieved effectively on one level because of careful and detailed planning. In daily practice they still presented challenges, especially when the Middle School came into being. Social, educational, and emotional integration also presented a more complex and difficult task. All were to require a major emphasis for some years of the tenure of Ann Mitchell as Head of College.
113
MOZAMBIQUE PARTNERSHIP
Following an initiative from the Primary School, the college established a relationship with Chamanculo District and its school in Mozambique, in partnership with Mozambique Lutheran World Service. A significant amount of money was raised to provide a computer and a toilet block for the school, as well as other materials. Later Australian Lutheran World Service provided assistance.
114
115
Dr Graeme and Mrs Robbie Doherty Mrs Cynthia Williams, the original Art Show convenor
The P&F Associations continued to operate separately during 2002, though with cooperation and coordination. They merged at the beginning of 2003 with Mrs Judi Vickerman as President, who moved in 2004 to the position of P&F Coordinator and was replaced as President by Dr Graham Doherty. The new constitution provided for a committee with three representatives from each sub-school, as well as members of the college’s administration team. The new organisation maintained the traditional activities of the two previous associations. The 2004 Arts and Crafts Exhibition raised a record $35,000. The merged Foundation conducted a major gifts appeal with a goal of $700,000 and pledged $1,750,000 toward the cost of the Middle School buildings.
The history of delay in the construction of the first major buildings in the two former schools was to be repeated in the construction of the Middle School buildings. The original concern that new buildings might not be ready for the start of 2003 proved to be well-founded. The site at the western end of the campus was steep and required extensive and expensive civil works, including car parking and landscaping and, yet again, changes to the Ashmore Road entrance, with additional access direct to the Middle School carpark. The Office of Non-State Schooling of the Queensland Government contributed $470,000 to the expensive civil engineering costs. Planning and approvals took so long that construction did not commence until April 2003, with the target of completion by the beginning of Term 4. Neumann Contractors won the contract for the civil works and A W Edwards for the building project. The long association with Parups Waring Architects continued.
As a temporary arrangement Year 6 students remained in their Cotlew Street classrooms in 2003, while Year 7 students were accommodated at Ashmore Road in refurbished rooms under the Science Building which had served in the past as the college’s assembly area. Year 8 and 9 students remained in their previous classrooms in Senior School. Mrs Carrie Allwood and Mr David Lyon were provided with a small temporary building at Ashmore Road as the administration base. Although some of the methodology and curriculum approaches for middle schooling could be implemented, the physical separation of students and dispersal in temporary spaces meant that full integration into a separate Middle School had to be deferred. For Year 6 students there appeared to be little change, although their teachers had to adjust to new administrative procedures. Intensive professional development of teachers was vitally necessary. For most students, despite the structural change and changes in teaching and learning styles,
116
Construction of the Middle School
117
The Cultural Precinct
The official opening of the Middle School. Mr Peter Lawlor MLA, Mrs Ann Mitchell, Mrs Carrie Allwood, Mr John Stapleton
The dedication plaque
118
the familiar activities and programs continued – clubs, camps, excursions, music groups, dance, and drama, although most were conducted within the sub-school. Interschool sport was still conducted on the traditional binary primary/secondary model.
The Middle School project comprised four separate elements. The complex civil engineering aspects had to be undertaken first. Stages 2 and 3 comprised two linked buildings, one for Years 6 and 7 and the second for Years 8 and 9, and a separate administration building. The Middle School Cultural Precinct provided a well-equipped performance space, separate teaching and rehearsal studios, and useful outdoor spaces. With its retractable seating, it was a useful year-level assembly space, and would also serve some Senior School co-curricular activities as well as those of the Middle School. It filled a need which had become more urgent as the drama and music programs grew in size, quality, and complexity. The College Foundation undertook to furnish and equip it.
Occupation of the new Middle School buildings was progressive. Although the Year 6-7 building was not complete, Year 6 students moved in at the beginning of 2004, working for some time, with appropriate safeguards, adjacent to an active building site. It was Term 4 of 2004 before the Middle School students and teachers were able to come together in their new buildings as a separate unit within its own dedicated space.
The Middle School buildings were officially opened and dedicated at a service in The Trinity Centre on 27th May 2005. The dedication was performed by Pastor Wayne Zweck, Secretary and Director of Ministry and Mission of the LCAQD (and former pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Southport). Mr Peter Lawlor MLA, State Member for Southport, officially opened the buildings and unveiled the plaque.
Lindsay Schmalkuche, now chairman of the Finance Committee of the College Council, undertook a major role during the construction period. In the absence through illness of the Bursar, Rob Mackenzie, he undertook responsibility for overseeing the contract, negotiating with the contractors, and providing security for the building site, and maintained a
comprehensive record of the progress of the project. It was generous use of his time and abilities far beyond his governance responsibility as a member of the College Council.
In its first two years the new college had taken on a major financial challenge. An early commitment had been made to refurbish and modernise the primary school classrooms and facilities and to expand the Prep facilities to accommodate three classes and a new playground. The vacating of Year 6 and 7 classrooms allowed the upgrading of eight upper primary classrooms in 2003, but even so there were about seven weeks when classes had to be conducted in cramped temporary spaces. The project included extensions for withdrawal areas, upgraded technology and reconfiguration to facilitate new teaching approaches and flexible teaching and learning methods. Another eleven rooms received similar treatment in 2004. The new facilities, modern and expansive, increased the teaching spaces by about a third, brought the primary years teaching spaces into the 21st century and facilitated even greater use of information technology. Interactive whiteboards were first installed in 2006. The remodelled facilities were opened and dedicated in May 2005.
In response to enrolment demand, triple streaming in the primary years was begun in 2003 and implemented progressively until the school was fully triple streamed in 2007. The reallocation of rooms enabled After School Hours Care to move from the Prep Building to a space under the primary school library in 2003, with double the size of its former location. In 2014 it found a permanent home when the former Principal’s residence next door was remodelled for this specific purpose. But not everything on the campus was positive. In June 2005 a major flooding incident caused much damage. The original groundwater control installed in the early years of the primary school proved to be inadequate for the exceptional deluge and the hall, canteen and administration offices suffered severe flooding.
Beginning in November 2002 a range of projects at Ashmore Road, including the extension and refurbishment of the Administration Building required expenditure of approximately $1.1 million. The new Middle School buildings and infrastructure comprised the largest project yet undertaken, the contract for civil works alone exceeding $1,000,000. As costs escalated, the contract required close supervision at a time when the new administration team was still establishing itself, and the Bursar was ill and absent. In two years, capital works to the value of $8 million had been completed. By April 2004 the college’s borrowings exceeded $10,000,000. The completion of the Middle School, its furnishings and equipment and associated works would require another $3,000,000. Then late in 2003 came an opportunity which could not be lost, but which called for yet more expenditure.
When the Planning Committee for the college in 1985 negotiated leasehold of the land with a small annual rental, it was a remarkable achievement. The annual rent had risen from $281 in 1985 to $573 in 2003. Then in January 2004 the Department of Natural Resources and Mines advised that the annual rent would rise to $10,000. It was a serious incentive to reconsider the leasing arrangement. The option of purchase to achieve freehold was still available, although the original purchase price of $175,000 had risen by indexation to $270,747. Given the development of this area of the Gold Coast during the previous twenty years, this was still a remarkably cheap price, and the College Council decided to take it up in spite of the serious financial pressure it was experiencing from its other capital commitments. The formal approvals were achieved by painfully slow progress through the church’s bureaucratic processes – Schools Council to District Finance Council to District Church Council. The conversion to freehold of Special Lease No. 46932 on 641 Ashmore Road came into effect on 30th June 2004. The college finally owned its own land.
But another $270,000 had been added to the escalating burden of debt. An application was made to the LCAQD to extend the college’s borrowing limit to $13,750,000.
119
When the request was denied, it appeared that the Middle School buildings might stand unfurnished and unoccupied. A partial solution was provided by the College Foundation, a new body formed from the amalgamation of two previous ones. The houses which had been erected to provide accommodation for primary school teachers coming from southern states were an asset of the College Foundation. Their value had increased substantially, and they had not been required for some time for their original purpose. Their sale made possible the completion of the Middle School and its occupation in Term 4 of 2004. It was hoped that a major capital appeal to the college community would contribute as much as $700,000. School fees also rose fairly sharply for several years. While this generated much needed income for the capital borrowings, it also removed a lower fee structure as one of the factors which influenced parents’ enrolments decisions. John Braithwaite and the Development Department were very active and energetic in their efforts to minimise the financial strains as well as in promoting enrolments.
These financial pressures coincided with the illness of Robin Mackenzie, the Business Manager, his resignation, and the emergency engagement of several temporary replacements. It would require a number of years of careful financial management and stringent control of costs before the fragile financial situation was restored to a balanced condition. Robin Mackenzie had been a member of the original 1987 College Council. The only remaining member of that first Council still serving, Mrs Moira Kleinschmidt, did not seek re-election at the 2003 Synod. She had for many years been the Vice Chair of the Council and Chair of the Publicity Committee. There was a gradual changing of the guard. Mr John Stapleton, the energetic and far-sighted Chairman of the College Council, also fell ill with cancer soon after the construction of the Middle School complex. He had joined the College Council in 1993 and had become its chairman after only six months. In July 2005 he stepped down from the chairmanship because of health issues but continued as Vice Chairman until June 2006. He passed away in January 2008.
2003 also marked another significant initiative for the college’s educational program. The International Baccalaureate was a highly regarded program which had grown out of the needs of international schools across the world, whose students were striving for admission to a wide range of universities in different countries. Grounded in individual research and enquiry-based approaches, it was less reliant than national curricula on a local curriculum and encouraged the development of generic skills. It was being adopted increasingly by other schools because of the skills and capacities it developed in students and because, at the Diploma level, it offered a substantial challenge for academically gifted students and it conferred a globally recognised qualification. It was understandable that the program would have a strong emphasis on internationality and global awareness. This aspect, too, accorded well with the directions adopted at Trinity. IBO offered its program at three levels: the Primary Years Program, the Middle Years Program, and the IB Diploma, which was targeted at university matriculation. In 2002 Mrs Meryl Siggs, who was Acting Deputy of the Primary School, undertook
Mrs Moira Kleinschmidt
to investigate its relevance to Trinity Lutheran College and, as a consequence of her recommendations, it was implemented in the Primary School in 2003, with the status of a candidate school. In 2006 the Primary School was granted full certification for the IB Primary Years Program. Trinity was only the second school in Queensland to be granted this certification. At the same time investigations were being undertaken into introducing the Middle Years Program and the IB Diploma. Although the program involved registration costs, the application of significant resources in teacher development and regular inspection to ensure ongoing authorisation, the process of implementation and progress towards certification was begun.
By 2008 it had been introduced into every year level in the Primary School. In that year also it was implemented in the Middle School in Years 6 and 7, progressing to Year 8 in 2009. The integration of the program into the structure of the Middle School curriculum proved to be rather more challenging. Teachers who had undertaken extensive professional development on middle schooling principles and practices and were still fine tuning the implementation of the different approaches required in middle schooling, were now required to become familiar with yet another new approach and to integrate it into their teaching programs. It was a measure of their commitment and professionalism that the task was undertaken in a positive spirit and provided important educational benefits to students. In addition, significant changes to the Queensland curriculum had been produced, and their implementation added another layer of complexity to teachers’ work. 2005 and 2006 heralded many changes in the leadership roles in the college. The departure from the College Council of John Stapleton deprived the college of a committed and effective governor. With a clear vision of what a Lutheran school could and should be, he had led the Council and guided the college through a period of major change, especially the amalgamation and the establishment of the Middle School, for both of which he was a strong advocate, and the construction of significant building infrastructure. Lindsay Schmalkuche and Marilyn Blundell retired from the Council at the same time, each with more than ten years of experience in the governance role. Dr Gretchen Hitchins, with experience of the role on the Trinity Lutheran Primary School Council, became Chairman, and was in turn replaced in 2007 by Dr Gerhard Wittig. At the end of 2005 two long-serving senior administrators left the college. Rob Fysh (Head of Senior School) resigned to become Principal of Peace Lutheran College in Cairns, while Alan Jakstas, the college’s first Director of Studies,was appointed Principal of Peace Lutheran Primary School in Gatton.
As the college developed, its administrative needs evolved. Arrangements and structures appropriate in 2002 had been trialled. Some called for adjustment as circumstances changed or as experience revealed new possibilities. In 2006 Mr Tim Kotzur was appointed to the newly created position of Deputy Head of College and Mr Terry Schuster took up the position of Head of Senior School. Ms Michelle Nisbet accepted the position of Director of Studies. In 2007 David Lyon moved from his role as Deputy Head of the Middle School to become Director of Teaching
Mr John Stapleton Dr Gretchen Hitchens Dr Gerhard Wittig Mr Terry Schuster Mr Tim Kotzur
121
Mrs Meryl Siggs Ms Donna Foxwell Music at Twilight
and Learning P-12. Mrs Meryl Siggs, Deputy Principal of the Primary School, left Trinity at the end of 2007 after a remarkable career. She had begun in 1990 as a teacher’s assistant. She then completed her teacher qualifications at university, and later a Masters degree. She was responsible for the Reading Recovery program, and later undertook the research which led to the introduction of the International Baccalaureate PYP. She has continued her career in international schools outside Australia. With the departure of John Braithwaite from the Development Department, Ms Zoe Bragh served as Development Coordinator in 2006 until Ms Lyn Rankin’s appointment as Director of Community Relations in 2007. Ms Donna Foxwell joined the administration team as Business Manager (Director of Finance,) bringing much needed stability to that aspect of the college’s operations
Established student activities in sport, music, drama, art, chess, debating, and other clubs continued to flourish, and new ones were added. Another opportunity for Senior Music students to showcase their skills was provided with Music at Twilight, a well-received program for individual student performances. In 2006 the rowing program acquired two new sculls, the Dr David Caldwell, and the Rob Mackenzie and, in the same year,long-term rowing coach, Mrs Jenny Pemberton, ran the college’s first rowing camp. The Cheer Squad established in 2004 under the guidance of Mrs Nerida Humm achieved early success. In 2006 they won the Queensland State Cheerleading Championships and came third in the National Championship in Sydney. The Rugby teams had their best season ever, with the 2nd XV, the U15 and Year 8 teams winning premierships. The Trinity Lutheran College Aquatic Club, promoting both swimming and water polo, had been set up as soon as the Ashmore Road swimming pool was ready for use. In 2005 in the Gold Coast Water Polo Association competition the boys’ team was undefeated, while the girls’ team won their third successive premiership. Four players were selected for Queensland teams. The Duke of Edinburgh program was made available to students within the college setting for the first time in 2006.
The amalgamation created a minor difficulty in deciding how anniversaries were to be calculated. The two original schools had always celebrated significant anniversaries and this tradition continued. In 2007 the secondary school had completed twenty years and the primary school had completed twentysix. Again, it was marked in a stylish manner with a number of events which included both former schools
122
Interhouse swimming The 2011 APS Shield
Water polo
Rowing Future Olympians
123
Mr Geoff Stumer A new time capsule is laid at the Junior School
equally. Special opening and closing services were held. A whole-of-college photo was taken. A Back to Trinity Trivia Night recalled past similar events, and a Back to Trinity Weekend in June attracted large numbers and evoked both happy memories and some nostalgia, as well as generating pride in how far the original primary school had journeyed in twenty-six years. At a VIP Welcome Reception, the Geoff Stumer Photographic Collection was launched, and certificates were presented to Mrs Lila Mackenzie and to college foundation staff members Mrs Lorraine Eldridge, Miss Pauline Alcock and Mrs Wynsomme Biskaps. At the Anniversary Dinner in the Primary School Hall former Headmasters Robert Hoff and Peter Eckermann were guest speakers. It also included a special celebration worship service, the official opening of the Primary School Stage 2 refurbishments, and the opening of time capsules on both campuses. Later in the year, the Gala Ball was a highlight occasion and the Arts and Crafts Exhibition continued a tradition of excellence both in the arts and in social enjoyment. It was fitting that the musical produced in the jubilee year was One, A New Musical by past student Sharon Whitlock.
Sadly, it could be expected that there would also be a further passing of the guard of the founding generation. A little before the death of John Stapleton in January 2008, Mrs Lila Mackenzie passed away in July 2007 at the age of ninety-seven, loyal and loving to the end. The two surviving Primary School patrons, Jack and Irene Strohmeyer also achieved very advanced old age. Jack passed away in October 2008 aged ninety-four, and Irene in June 2010 aged ninety-four. The work of each of them had been a blessing to Trinity Lutheran Primary School and Trinity Lutheran College, and each of them felt blessed to have been able to contribute and to see how God had blessed their efforts.
The implementation of the International Baccalaureate continued.Whenauthorisation was received to implement the Diploma Program in Year 11 in 2009, the first group of students numbered ten. Nine received their IB Diplomas at the end of 2010. In Years 11 and 12 it was offered as an option to selected students. Some teachers had now to operate in three distinctly different curriculum environments. Most students were pursuing the conventional Board of Secondary School Studies program directed to achieving an OP for Queensland tertiary entrance. Another group were following the IB pathway with its international focus. A third and still growing group were involved in vocational education, VET, with its technical and trade training, links to TAFE, schoolbased traineeships, and potential apprenticeships. There were large areas of overlap between the last two of these streams, while the IB Diploma operated as an independent curriculum stream. It presented capable and hardworking teachers in the Senior years with considerable challenges. There were stringent requirements for teacher qualifications and extensive
124
Mrs Lila MacKenzie Mr Jack and Mrs Irene Strohmeyer
and time-consuming professional development, which even included overseas training programs for the Diploma program. Consequently, it was very expensive to implement, both financially and in teacher time.
At the same time there were the ongoing discussions and debates about a national curriculum which, when introduced in 2010, added another layer of complexity and additional work for teachers in an already challenging educational environment. Trinity was fortunate to have a body of teachers who not only undertook regular specific professionaldevelopment, but in many cases continued formal studies, a number completing Masters degrees.
The timing of the introduction of the IB Diploma program proved to be unfortunate. It had been hoped that it would not only offer a valuable alternative educational pathway with proven benefits, but that it would also provide a positive point of difference from other schools to attract new enrolments. Its introduction in 2009 coincided with the opening at Southport in 2008 of the Queensland Government’s Health Sciences Campus- Queensland Academies, which specialised in the IB program. Trinity could not match its very generously resourced program with a wider range of choices. Although the enrolment of ten in the first year was satisfactory, the hoped-for enrolments did not eventuate in the following years. When only three students enrolled for Year 11 of the IB Diploma in 2012, there was discussion of cancelling the program. It was maintained for one year, however, subject to review. Both the IB Diploma and the Middle Years Program were discontinued at the end of 2014.
The Primary Years Program was both simpler and less expensive to implement, though still requiring ongoing teacher professional development. With strong support from the primary years teachers, certification for the Primary Years Program was extended for five years to 2015, and then again to 2020. The next certification review, deferred because of COVID, is being carried out in 2021. The program is still very effective for student learning and valued within the school community.
As the applications of digital technology continued to grow at a rapid pace in the general community, so too at Trinity means were sought to harness its capacities for the improvement of student learning and school communication. In 2008 an email system was implemented enabling teachers and students to communicate remotely. Plans were in place to produce Spirit, the fortnightly newsletter, in an electronic format. The college website was upgraded.
The repair of the college’s financial standing was proceeding at a steady pace when an unpredicted catastrophe struck the global economy. In 2007 the global financial crisis attacked a bewildered world.
125
Beginning with the collapse of the American housing mortgage market, which led to the failure of Lehmann Brothers, one of the United States’ leading financial institutions, the repercussions soon had world-wide implications. The economic and social consequences were dire, and no country was unaffected. In Australia the Commonwealth Government responded with a series of economic stimulation measures, some of which proved to be of immense benefit to Trinity. However, the general economic downturn also constrained family and household finances, and had an impact on enrolments at Trinity, as at most nongovernment schools. As late as 2015, a large proportion of student withdrawals could still be attributed to family financial difficulties. The struggle to maintain enrolments became even more strenuous. College finances were once again under severe pressure.
While the immediate impact on Trinity reflected the financial difficulties being experienced by its families, there was also a silver lining. In February 2009 the government announced a second economic stimulation program. It was directed at infrastructure, with a heavy emphasis on education spending. The Building the Education Revolution program had two elements. The first, National School Pride, targeted new and restructured outdoor learning areas, shade structures and sports facilities; the second, Primary Schools for the 21st Century, was intended to provide for new and refurbished school halls, libraries, and classrooms. Initially Trinity Lutheran College was ready to access both these programs, but the College Council, having made a major investment in primary school infrastructure in 2003 and 2004, decided not to undertake more projects on that campus, but planned for major enhancements at Ashmore Road.
Another education initiative from the Commonwealth Government was the Digital Education Revolution. Trinity, with its history of innovation in digital technology, was ready to take advantage of this also. The result was a major enhancement of electronic learning, teaching and communication at the college within the space of a few years. The primary school already had forty laptops in regular use. Under the new funded program, the Senior and Middle Schools would acquire more than 350 new computers over two years beginning in 2010, most of which would be laptops, as the use of that technology in teaching and learning was expanded. Twenty of the laptops and several desktops were placed in the library, enabling the majority of the library’s resources to be available electronically. The remainder were deployed initially in computer laboratories, three at Ashmore Road and one at Cotlew Street, until it was recognised that they could be used more effectively if distributed more widely. The existing wireless network installation was also upgraded to accommodate the greatly increased usage. These improvements fitted comfortably into the college’s ambitious plans for the use of technology. The Strategic Plan 2010-2014 included the goal of continuing improvement of ICT infrastructure and enabling media-rich learning opportunities. The installation of a portable electronic whiteboard in the library was followed by the provision in 26 classrooms of either electronic whiteboards or data projectors, followed by their installation in all remaining classrooms in the following year. An automated student attendance system was implemented in 2012, and in the primary years parents could order their children’s lunches from the tuckshop online.
Under the impetus of the government initiative, an aspirational target was set of achieving a ratio of one computer per student in Years 9 to 12 by the end of 2011. For Year 12 students these would be laptops. At the same time teachers were given the opportunity to experiment with tablet technology as a teaching/ learning tool. A wide range of tablets were investigated until the second-generation Apple iPad with a camera became available. In 2010 ten of the newly released Apple iPads were purchased for trial use in classes across the three sub-schools. The response from both students and teachers was positive at all levels. A new iPad policy was developed for introduction in 2012, requiring the provision of an iPad for every student in Years 5 to 11. All Year 12 students would have access to a laptop. In addition, every teacher would be provided with a laptop. New and innovative teaching methodologies became possible with the availability of these devices. The program was so innovative that a number of Queensland and New South Wales schools sent teachers to view it at first hand. Two Trinity teachers were invited to present a paper on the pedagogy associated with the iPad program at the Digital Education Revolution Conference.
126
Daniel Pearson, the ICT manager, and Danny Mackenzie, Head of Learning- ICT Integration (Academic), were working jointly in the development of myTrinity, a collaborative e-learning portal which provided access for both students and teachers to curriculum and learning resources, and promoted connectivity between teachers and their students. It was launched in 2011, and new resources were added to it year by year. Parents also had access through their children. In 2013 a new Parent Portal extended to them also more ready access to college news and notices as well as curriculum information. At the same time the fortnightly newsletter Spirit was made available in an electronic format. An electronic kiosk allowed student absences to be notified and tracked digitally.
All these rapid changes called for teachers to make adjustments to their teaching methods and strategies, a process which had been under way in most schools as the new technologies became more widely available. Most Trinity teachers, in a school environment which had always strongly promoted the use of the most recent technology, adapted readily to the new opportunities, though for some at the expense of much time and effort. In 2002 the College Council’s master plan had outlined an ambitious program of new building infrastructure for the newly amalgamated college. By 2004 the Middle School complex had been completed. The complete refurbishment and extension of the classrooms on the primary school campus was begun in 2003 and completed early in 2005. The Commonwealth Government economic stimulus program in 2009 coincided with Trinity’s readiness for its next project in its master plan. In fact, it made it possible to proceed in rapid succession with two major building projects and one smaller project.
The provision of covered walkways linking buildings, essential in Queensland’s rain-prone climate, had been the target of numerous efforts for many years, many of them organised and coordinated by John Lennerth who had moved from the primary school to take responsibility for buildings and grounds at Ashmore Road. Now the National Pride program made possible the construction of a beautifully designed covered walkway across the ridge from south to north, linking several buildings and ending near the Middle School. Named The Colonnade, it was completed in December 2009 at a cost of $320.000. It remains a useful, attractive, and readily identifiable feature of the campus.
The colonnade
127
The construction of the Sports Centre
The larger project under the National Pride scheme was the construction of a new indoor sports facility which began in January 2010. The $3.2 million of government funding provided for this and the walkway enabled the realisation of a long-held dream. The primary contract for the sports centre, awarded to Grindley Constructions, was $3,773,000, contributing to a total cost of $4,500,000. Its site on the southern edge of the main oval placed it under the power lines which had raised such concern in the early years of the college. Despite the frequent and lengthy negotiations in the past, the laying of a section of the transmission lines underground was not achieved. Prior to the commencement of building, Energex relocated a section of the lines to the south - at the expense of the college. Although the building was designed primarily as an indoor sports facility, the design was intentionally flexible to enable its use for a range of other school activities. In its funding application it was described as a multi-purpose school hall. The large, high-ceilinged central space provided marked courts for a number of team sports, including basketball, volleyball, and netball.However, it could also be adapted to become an examination centre, the venue for Senior School year-level assemblies, parent-teacher nights, large inter-school meetings, and potentially other uses. The weights and fitness room, spacious and well equipped through a donation of $150,000 from the P&F Association, became a popular facility well used by both students and staff, and created an impetus for several school team sports, including a Rugby Development Squad. Two new staffrooms catered for teachers based in the centre and some others, relieving pressure on crowded staffrooms in the Senior School. A kiosk and servery, an attractive foyer, and toilet/changeroom amenities completed a highly functional and visually attractive building in a high-profile position. Already in August, even before the official opening, it was the venue for the annual Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Additions to the contract provided new car parking facilities and earthworks for later construction of new external courts. The whole project was completed at the beginning of February 2011.
128
After the opening ceremony The unveiling of the plaque. Dr Gerhard Wittig. Mrs Sue Kloeden, Mrs Ann Mitchell
The new facility was dedicated on 12th May 2011 by College Pastor, Pastor Michael Alfson, and officially opened by Mrs Sue Kloeden, the Executive Director of Lutheran Education Queensland, in conjunction with a weekend of celebrations of the 30th anniversary. In accord with the college’s new policy on the naming of buildings and in recognition of the service and leadership of the late John Stapleton as Chairman of College Council during times of major change, it was named the John Stapleton Sports Centre.
It was almost immediately recognised as an excellent facility and became the venue for state and national events, including some associated with the Australian University Games. In 2012 it became the official venue for the Gold Coast Academy of Sport’s elite programs in basketball and volleyball. The Trinity Lutheran College Fitness Club was inaugurated in July 2011, its membership soon numbering more than 250 students from Year 4 to Year 12. The gym equipment and weights room were open morning and afternoon every school day under the supervision of Mr Trent Arthur, the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator.
Mrs Sue Kloeden
129
A third major building program received its government funding through the conventional BGA (Block Grant Authority) process. The Commonwealth Government had created another special fund within the BGA structure to provide infrastructure, especially buildings, to support and promote vocational education and trade training. This aligned precisely with the needs and plans of Trinity Lutheran College. The options available to students in VET (Vocational Education and Training) had long been extensive and had been gradually expanded year by year. Traineeships were being undertaken in Business Administration, Hospitality, Animal Studies, Hairdressing, Retailing and Community Recreation. Most of these already had adequate physical environments. The flourishing and highly successful Hospitality program enjoyed some of the best facilities in Gold Coast schools. When Applied Technology was added to the Senior curriculum in 1994, it was noted that the facilities in temporary buildings set up for it were barely adequate and would require upgrading in the future. This upgrading had been included in the college masterplan beginning in 2002. Teachers had been doing excellent work in a popular subject with inadequate teaching and workspaces and facilities. Since that time more VET subjects and school-based
Construction of the Trade Training Centre The official opening and dedication of the Trade Training Centre
130
traineeships had been introduced, some of them adding still more pressure on the limited facilities and temporary spaces. The development of the Applied Technology program with its model of design/make/ evaluate called for very flexible workspaces with a wide range of equipment and materials. With the stabilisation of the college’s finances, and particularly as other urgent needs were receiving generous assistance from special Commonwealth Government programs, the time was right to provide the required resources. The College Council approved the project, the architects Burling Brown were briefed, and planning began for a new building for Applied Technology and related courses and for VET and trade training. Applications for funding garnered $550,000 from the standard State and Commonwealth Government sources and a further $1.5 million from a special Australian Government Trade Centre fund. With three spacious workshops (digital, furnishing, engineering) and excellent equipment, and with its own staff areas, it would fill an urgent need. Construction began in July 2010, soon after the new sports centre contract began, so that the two projects were partly concurrent. The building contract awarded to P T Turner was for $2,471,000, with a total projected cost of $$2,988,000. The site of the building adjacent to
Mrs Anna Mitchell, Dr David Caldwell, Mrs Ida Caldwell, Sen Mark Furner, Dr Gerhard Wittig
Students using the Centre
131
132
other classrooms and facilities made the construction process difficult for both the contractor and the college community. By contrast, the construction of the new sports centre caused much less disruption and difficulty because of its situation well away from the main campus buildings. Mrs Carole Morris was appointed as Apprenticeship and Traineeship Officer to facilitate the negotiation of those arrangements and to solve the complexities of their implementation. The new facility was named the David Caldwell Technology and Trade Training Centre to honour the vision and work of Dr David Caldwell whose efforts led to the establishment of the college and guided it through the pioneering years. It was officially opened on 10th October 2011 by Senator Mark Furner and dedicated by the College Pastor, Pastor Michael Alfson.
At this time also, as a consequence of the new College Council policy on naming buildings, the hall at the Cotlew Street campus was named the Robert Hoff Community Hall to recognise and honour the work and achievements of the second Headmaster of Trinity Lutheran Primary School.
Students’ academic progress was, of course, a central and primary concern. In 2009 Mrs Angela Vance was appointed as Learning Support and Enhancement Facilitator, with responsibility for early intervention in the Senior School. The Strategic Plan 2010-2014 placed academic standards and student learning in the forefront of its goals. In 2010 the college
undertook another intentional intervention in the academic progress of under-performing students. Dr Judith Smeed from QUT was contracted to work with Heads of Departments to assist them in monitoring student achievement and guiding them into subject choices and educational pathways most appropriate to their capacities. The program proved to be helpful and was maintained for a number of years. At the same time, Velocitas@Trinity was launched. The college’s first official move into gifted and talented education, it provided online extension programs for academically gifted students. Reading Recovery in the Primary School had been an early effort to cater
In 2011 Trinity won the coveted Griffith University Senior Science Award
Mr Lindsay Bovill Ms Anne Doecke Mrs Janice Pukallus
for students with special needs. Making provision for these students was also built into the Strategic Plan 2010-2014. Two years later in 2013, Velocitas was expanded to include support for elite athletes and sportspeople through Velocitas-Sport. Whether the outcome of these programs, or for other reasons, the academic results of the graduating class of 2012 were outstanding. Trinity Lutheran College stood in equal fifth place in Queensland in the percentage of OP eligible students in the OP 1-15 band, and fourth among Gold Coast schools in the percentage of students in the 1-5 OP band. No eligible student achieved an OP lower than 16.
Student discipline in schools has always been a leading concern of parents and is sometimes a criterion for judging the suitability of a school for their children. It is a fraught issue for school administrators, as some parents see the need for other families’ children to be subject to disciplinary action, but not always their own. Discipline in a Lutheran school is to be exercised not only with a view to high standards of behaviour but, more particularly, in the light of the Christian gospel of love, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, and community. Trinity, like most other schools, had sometimes not got the balance right. In the constant striving for improvement, Trinity had adopted the move from student discipline to behaviour management, and then to the implementation of Restorative Justice or Restorative Practice, an approach increasingly in use in Lutheran schools. Behaviour Management became Relational Management, with a greater emphasis on community and personal responsibility, reconciliation, and restoration of positive relationships. It was implemented by senior teachers, but also in collaboration with the counselling and chaplaincy staff.
Once again, against the background of the loyalty and long tenure of many teachers, there were changes in the senior positions in 2010. Mr Tim Kotzur, the first Deputy Head of College, left at the end of 2009 to become Principal of St Andrew’s Lutheran College, Tallebudgera. His position was filled by Mrs Tsae Wong. Mr Terry Schuster, Head of the Senior School, was appointed Principal at St Stephen’s Lutheran College in Gladstone, and Mrs Shirley Washington’s position as Head of the Senior School was confirmed after a short period in an Acting role. Mrs Carolyn Thistlethwaite was appointed Deputy Head of Primary, replacing Mrs Lisa Kraft, who had served the school for thirteen years. Mrs Lydia Kolominskas moved to a Lutheran school in Darwin after twenty-one years as teacher of German and Head of LOTE. Mrs Donna Foxwell resigned as Business Manager after five intensive years. The position was filled by Mr Lindsay Bovill who brought to the role his long experience in two other Lutheran colleges.
When Pastor Mike Neldner accepted a call to the Bethania parish and left in June 2009, a new model of chaplaincy was implemented. The earlier pattern of three ordained chaplains, one for each sub-school, had been evolving as the number of pastors reduced
133
Pastor Dirk Willner
from three to two, and now to one. Growing financial pressures contributed to a decision not to call another pastor as chaplain. Pastor Michael Alfson became college pastor, responsible for the whole college, though relieved of teaching responsibilities. Described by some as “bare bones chaplaincy”, it was a demanding task and called for a range of new strategies in order for him to know students and to be known by them. The chaplaincy team had for some years included part-time lay chaplains Mrs Janice Pukallus and Ms Anna Doecke, who continued to provide support in the sub-schools. Anna Doecke, who had combined part-time chaplaincy at the college with part-time work as a youth worker in the Living Word congregation, left at the end of 2009. The LCA was discouraging the employment of multiple pastors as chaplains in schools and colleges and promoting more extensive use of lay chaplains. Several additional qualified teachers combined the teaching Christian Studies with other subjects and were effective and creative worship leaders. The introduction of service learning in Christian Studies in 2010 added to the complexity of the organisational aspects of the subject. Pastor Dirk Willner of the Living Word congregation provided additional pastoral support to the college chaplaincy team staff as facilitator of one of the Growth groups. He also conducted Confirmation classes and developed an online Confirmation course. The College Council, the college leadership team, and the teaching and support staff were committed to providing an education soundly based on Christian teaching and living, an experience of the gospel in action. At the same time, it had to be accepted that the changing attitudes to the Christian faith in the broader community meant that many students came to this fundamental, underpinning aspect of college life with less knowledge and understanding, and sometimes less willingness to learn. It was a challenge to the whole of college life, though most obvious to those involved in chaplaincy and the teaching of Christian Studies. It was perhaps ironic that as enrolments began to fall, creating financial difficulties, the proportion of students from unchurched families also fell, enabling more positive attitudes to the Christian teaching and practice of the college.
For those who were seeking a deeper understanding and skills, the VET program in 2012 introduced Vetamorphus, a Certificate III course in Christian Ministry and Theology. The two part-time lay chaplains initiated new programs, The Ripple Effect, run by Anna Doecke, was a weekly study of a Bible topic aimed at examining how to put its message into practice in daily life. Chaplain Janice Pukallus organised Foundations, which helped students to understand the foundational teachings of the Christian faith and to build a personal relationship with God.
College worship, drama, instrumental and choral programs all had a need for the use of sound and lighting equipment. In an innovation in 2009, technical services training was offered by a past student for Middle and Senior School students. Students learnt how to operate safely and correctly the technical and theatrical, sound and lighting equipment on the Ashmore Road campus, including in the Trinity Centre. In the following years this group served the multiple needs of the college in worship, assemblies, drama performances and concerts, and other events. Those who undertook the training were also exposed to other career options, just as some talented performers in the dance, drama, instrumental and choral programs found their life ambitions in the college programs.
Classroom based programs in the performing arts were complemented by further growth in the co-curricular program, with more performance opportunities provided. Music Excellence Nights
134
Expanding performance opportunities
135
complemented the Twilight Concert Series. In 2009 the first Trinity Lutheran College Music Showcase Concert featured students from all year levels from Pre-School to Year 12. In the Gold Coast Eisteddfod, Trinity student groups achieved three first and two second places. The musical Annie was an outstanding success. Dance, long a part of the Trinity curriculum offerings, was growing in strength, with the two co-curricular ensembles, Dazantes and Locomotives, participating in the interschool Danc’Ed in the Spotlight. At the end of the year student groups and staff combined to produce a CD, A Very Trinity Christmas. The fortunes of teams in traditional team sports ebbed and flowed, as is normal in school competitions, but Trinity students always acquitted themselves commendably, and premierships were frequently achieved.
Rowing went from strength to strength and, in 2009, Trinity won the Trophy Regatta for the second successive year. At the State Championships students won four gold and three silver medals. The water polo teams won all three premierships, the girls for the second successive year. They would repeat this success in 2010, as well as winning the Trophy Regatta in rowing again. A past student was selected to row in the Australian women’s team and in 2012 former School Captain, Kelsey Wakefield, was a members of the Australian Open Women’s team at the London Olympic Games. Trinity had always attracted a number of students who travelled a considerable distance from the Gold Coast hinterland. In 2009 the College Council took up a proposal that Trinity Lutheran College should sponsor the establishment of another Lutheran school in the hinterland and a Planning Committee was established. It was decided very early in the discussions that any new school would be a separate institution of the LCAQD, not an additional campus of Trinity Lutheran College. Suitable land was identified at Mausdland in 2010, but it was found that it lay beyond the urban footprint of the Gold Coast City Council and that the provision of basic infrastructure would be expensive. Nevertheless, discussion and some research continued. In the next years declining enrolments and the attendant financial issues reduced the capacity of the college to consider any non-essential expenditure, and the proposal lapsed.
In the midst of this flurry of activity, the college also celebrated in 2011 its thirtieth anniversary, again with both a recognition of its past and a keen eye to the future. A new college crest was adopted to be used on newly designed student uniforms from 2012. It included the school motto in Latin: Fundamentum quod positum est. Jesus Christus est. The policy on the naming of buildings was adopted and implemented. The traditional events were celebrated with special emphasis: the Arts and Crafts Exhibition, the P&F
For several years Trinity students competed in equestrian competition
LUTHERAN COLLEGE
The new college crest was adopted in 2011
136
Trinity students contributed to a combined college-congregation worship service Special guests at the 30th anniversary celebrations. Mr Peter Nitschke, Mr Ian Louttit, Ms Bronwyn Dolling, Mr Peter Eckermann
Trivia Night, the Gala Ball in October, the Musical Showcase at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. The finale was the inaugural Celebration of Excellence in November at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
This year also brought the departure of significant members of the staff. Mr Jeff Minge had become Headmaster of Trinity Lutheran Primary School in 1997 and Head of Primary School in 2002 (later retitled Head of Early and Primary Years Campus). He retired in June 2012 after 22 ½ years at the two schools, leaving a fine legacy. He had maintained and extended the excellence of the school’s educational programs as well as community recognition of that excellence. In 2017 the trophy for house spirit was renamed the Minge House Shield in his honour. His replacement as Head of Early and Primary Years Campus was Mrs Trudy Moala. His wife, Janne, retired at the same time.
Mrs Lorraine Eldridge, the last remaining foundation teacher at the college from 1987, also retired. She had established a tradition of excellence in the flourishing programs in Home Economics and Hospitality. Mrs Shirley Washington left after sixteen years of service to the college, the last ten as the inaugural Head of Senior School. Mr Danny Mackenzie, a fourteenyear veteran, resigned from his position as Head of Learning- ICT Integration (Academic), a position then filled by Mr Andrew McCaskill. (Danny has subsequently returned to Australia and to a teaching position at Trinity.) Mrs Nadia Mackenzie also left her position as Director of Arts. Both had begun their time at Trinity at Trinity Lutheran Primary School, she as the first full-time music teacher in 1997. Mrs Cherie Smith became Director of Arts.
JEFF HAD MAINTAINED AND EXTENDED THE EXCELLENCE OF THE SCHOOL’S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY RECOGNITION.
137
Mrs Tracy Moala
Mr Anthony Vassallo Mrs Lorraine Eldridge
Mrs Janette Salmi Mr Danny and Mrs Nadia MacKenzie
Mrs Ann Mitchell, Ms Bree Noonan and Mrs Lea Fitzpatrick, President of the P&F Association
Mr Lindsay Bovill resigned from the position of Business Manager to join St Peter’s Lutheran College and was replaced by Mr Anthony Vassallo. In a general restructuring of senior positions at Ashmore Road, Mrs Carrie Allwood moved from Head of Middle School to Head of Campus 6-12. Mrs Janette Salmi, with many past years of service beginning in the Primary School, became Dean of Students 6-12. David Lyon’s role as Dean of Curriculum was restructured from P-12 to 6-12, with Jason Day as Associate Dean. These roles were becoming specific to the Ashmore Road campus in acknowledgement of the difficulty of operating across two sites. The administrative team on the Cotlew Street campus could take more direct responsibility for curriculum issues. Ten years after the amalgamation, fine tuning of the organisational structures was still being carried out.
Enrolment and student retention issues continued to be critical. The Director of Community Relations, Mrs Bree Noonan, and the Registrar, Mrs Maria Lennerth, played important roles in marketing and communication. Every year there was a struggle to match the enrolment numbers to the budget projections. Retention of students in the Senior School was a particular difficulty. There were multiple and complex reasons for the problem. They included strong competition from other like schools, some with superior facilities, and the continuing financial fallout from the global financial crisis. Enrolment numbers had peaked after the amalgamation and then stabilised, though numbers tended to fluctuate during the school year. In August 2009 the enrolment was 1361. In 2010 numbers began to drop, falling to 1024 in February 2013, followed by a sharp decline to 982 in 2014. The decline had serious implications for staffing, the budget and special programs. The necessity for a deficit budget was confronted for the first time in 2013 and was narrowly averted but, once again, redundancies became necessary.
138
The tentative move to enrol overseas students of some years before had resulted in significant growth. From four full fee-paying overseas students (FFPOS) in 2005, the numbers had grown to 28 in 2010. The decline in local enrolments opened up opportunities for more overseas students, and considerable effort was put into recruiting, especially from South East Asia. The emphasis fitted well with and contributed to the college’s longstanding striving for internationality, global awareness, and global connection. In 2017, even though local enrolments were slowly increasing, $20,000 was set aside for overseas promotion.
Other than student retention, one of the enrolment issues identified by the College Council was admission to the primary years through Prep. For the first time in 2010 the Prep classes were not fully enrolled. Growing numbers of competing schools had established Early Learning Centres, including kindergartens, bringing children into their community a year earlier. It was decided to use the same strategy by the opening of an Early Learning Centre incorporating a kindergarten in 2013. Children would be accepted from the age of two years. The ELC, Little Stars, was to be located in the former Prep rooms. The construction of another classroom and new toilets and the refurbishing of the existing Year 1 classrooms allowed the Prep classes to be relocated into the adjoining classrooms, with a new specially designed playground. The Prep centre was remodelled for a kindergarten program, beginning in 2013. It flourished under the expert leadership of Mrs Susan Shaw. An impressive and stimulating playground was developed to come into use in 2016. Initially the governance of the Early Learning Centre was entrusted to a Council answerable to the College Council. In late 2016 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed transferring management of the centre to QLECS (Queensland Lutheran Early Childhood Services).
The capital expenditure on buildings and technology in the previous few years had been very large and, in spite of the generous influx of government funds, it
Mrs Susan Shaw (top left); Little Stars in the Early Learning Centre
139
placed serious strains on the college’s finances. The continuing decline in enrolment numbers severely exacerbated this situation. With deep regret some redundancies had to be effected. Once again it would require years of careful planning and stringent financial control to rectify the difficulties and restore financial stability. In 2012 additional borrowing of $370,000 was undertaken to enable the college to pay to Living Word congregation the value of its portion of The Trinity Centre, and to assume full ownership of the facility. An anomalous situation of joint ownership was resolved, and a new agreement with the congregation was negotiated in order to clarify the rights of the congregation in the use of the building and to promote harmonious future relationships.
After returning from leave in Term 3 of 2013, Mrs Ann Mitchell announced her intention to retire at the end of the year. Her service to the college, a total of twenty- seven years, began in the Primary School in 1987. For 11½ years she had led the college through challenging times. With the support of Council Chairman, John Stapleton, and his Primary School counterpart, Lindsay Schmalkuche, she had carried out the research and done the work which culminated in the amalgamation of two schools to form the new Trinity Lutheran College and the establishment of the Middle School. She had led the new school through the challenges of integrating into a united community, through the implementation of major building programs, and major expansion of both the infrastructure and the pedagogical implications of digital technology, and the maintenance and expansion of a rich and diverse range of cultural and sporting opportunities for students.
The end of 2013 was also accompanied by the retirement of a number of staff members with long years of service. Mr John and Mrs Maria Lennerth retired, both having begun their service at Trinity Lutheran Primary School and moved to the Ashmore Road campus. Maria spent twenty-four years as PA to the Principal, enrolment officer, and finally College Registrar. For John, his eighteen years at Trinity had been spent as groundsman at the Primary School and very briefly at Ashmore Road. John Allwood, Head of Learning-Science, 6-12, completed twenty-three years at the college. Mrs Tina Rutherford, ESL teacher (15 years) and Mrs Joy Smith, teacher assistant (17 years) completed a group remarkable for their longevity of service and loyalty. They were not alone in their commitment. The college had proved its ability to inspire commitment and loyalty in both staff and parents.
Dr Gerhard Wittig thanks and farewells Mrs Ann Mitchell Mrs Ann Mitchell and Mrs Tsae Wong
