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News
2009
Faith Lutheran School
August

Principally
Speaking
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff, Ex-scholars and Friends,
Where are they now?
Recently I met up with some former students from my first school (I taught
them in the late 70’s). My first thought was ‘how old they looked’ but then I
realised I’m not getting any younger!
We talked about what they were doing now, family members, business
interests, recreational interests and of course we reminisced. As we were
talking, I noticed how they’d changed and developed. Here were middleaged
adults whom I’d last conversed with as students. Their conversation
was articulate, opinions were well considered and I was impressed with their
world view and value systems.
Later, I reflected on what we do at Faith to develop our students, particularly
after a reunion of 1999 Old Scholars planned in August.
Staff who attended this reunion will make similar observations about students
they formed relationships with over 10 years ago. Will they have noticed a
Faith influence in their lives? What skills and values did the students take
from Faith and hone over the years?
I am confident many Old Scholars from Faith will display respect, care and
service towards others. A belief in themselves, the confidence to employ their
talents and make a difference in the world. Hopefully Old Scholars will be
continuing in their spiritual development, recognizing God’s hand in their lives
and in His incredible Creation.
As I consider the changing needs of students in this new millennium, I envisage
Old Scholars of the future to also display adaptability, effective research and
IT skills, decision making skills and deep concern for the challenges facing
our fragile planet. Our new ‘Thinking and Learning’ curriculum in the Middle
Years and improvements to SACE will provide excellent opportunities for
students to confront and succeed in their futures.
In this edition of Faith News we feature Old Scholars and celebrate their
contributions in the areas of their expertise. Enjoy the stories and journeys.
2009 is our 25th Anniversary of providing the communities of the Barossa
and district with education in a Christian setting. In a year where we have
seen achievement, tragedy, joys and new opportunities, we continue to
support each other, rise to the challenges in this community, and we continue
to seek God’s care and wisdom as we educate our young people for the world
beyond Faith.
Gavan Cramer
Principal

Academic & Community
Achievements
Year 11 student, Sophie Grieger,
is one of only ten students from
across the State to receive an
‘Order of Australia’ Student
Citizenship Medallion for 2009.
The medallion is not an academic
or sporting award but is intended
to recognise young people who
contribute selflessly to their
communities. Sophie is heavily
involved in community projects
both at school and in the Barossa
area. She is a viola player in the Faith School Orchestra, is
in our Peer Support program, leads ‘Questions’ Group and
has led whole Chapel devotions. Earlier this year she went
to the Phillipines as a ‘Habitat for Humanity’ member. She
has served as a Sunday School teacher at her church and
helps as an usher Sunday mornings, and is also involved in
the Kapunda Netball Club. A very well-rounded young lady.
Year 8 Geography
students, Morgan
Goss and Madison
Kalleske, received
special recognition
for outstanding
achievement in the
2008 UNESCO World
Heritage Education
Patrimonito Storyboard Competition. Entries involved
creating a storyboard about the Great Barrier Reef and the
environmental impacts it faces, including climate change.
Year 11 students, Ben Plueckhahn and Matthias Grocke,
were placed in top 1% and 2% respectively in the ‘National
Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition’.
Around 90,000 Year 10 and 11 students from around the
country took part, with Faith gaining a total of 10 high
distinctions, 8 distinctions and 14 credits.
(Graph produced by SSABSA.)
The ‘South Australian
School Mathematics
C o m p e t i t i o n ’ i s a
challenging competition
sponsored by the
Society of Petroleum
Engineers. It requires
students to think laterally and apply their problem solving skills.
Year 10 student, Lisa Neldner, has done exceptionally well to
gain Fourth place in the Intermediate section. This is only the
second time that a Faith student has gained a top 10 place in
the competition. Lisa has previously been a very successful
student in Maths competitions and is interested in continuing
in Maths and/or Science at University. Year 8 student, Ethan
Moore, also did very well to gain a Credit in the Junior section
of the competition, which places him in the top 60 students in
the State.
Faith’s Swing Band were
placed Second Overall in their
Division at the ‘Generations
of Jazz’ competition in Mount
Gambier, directed by James
Morrison. Stage bands from
80 secondary schools all over Australia participated. A great
result for our talented music students.
Congratulations to Faith teacher, Mr Michael
Borgas, and his Year 10 Science class, together
with selected Year 9 Science students, who
won the State Finals of the ‘Schools Science
E n g i n e e r i n g
C h a l l e n g e ’ .
The 30-strong team plans to
travel to Bendigo in October
to represent our school in the
National Finals. Charlotte
Viergever and Stephen Grace
(right) accepted the trophy.
School Average Achievement Score, by Year.
This graph refers to Year 12 Results since 2004 and compares
our performance (in red) with Like schools (in green) and
the State results overall (in blue). Like schools are schools
that are grouped together on the basis of similarities such
as demographics, curriculum focus, rural/urban setting etc.
As you can see, Faith has maintained a consistently high
standard of achievement.
For many years, Faith’s Year 12 results have been well above
the State average, a real credit to the hard-working students,
their talented teachers and their very supportive parents.
In 2008 our Year 12 students achieved significantly above
the State average in their SSABSA Year 12 final grades and
scores. We congratulate them for achieving these results.

School Library
Renovations
Our Library is currently undergoing major refurbishment in order to
cater for the increasingly varied learning needs of students.
The new Library design incorporates pods of computers which will
make access to information technologies quick and easy for students,
a computer study area specifically for Year 12 students, and class
access to a set of 28 computers to assist them with their research.
The Library has also installed a video streaming system which
allows students to watch video programs at their own pace from any
computer on the school network.
School Librarian, Kerry Schwier, and Library Assistant,
Whilst these new technologies have, and are changing, the face of
Erich Holzknecht, contemplate the renovation progress.
education, the Library still has a major role to play in the promotion
of reading for leisure. To assist with this, a casual reading area with soft furnishings has been incorporated in the new
Library design. Please feel most welcome to come and have a look at the changes which are underway in the Library
when you next visit at the school.
Student
Exchanges
Steffen Baumeister (Year 11) and Nadine Gugel (Year 11) joined us in Term
3 for a short term - 8 week - exchange from our Sister School in Germany,
Laurentius Gymnasium.
Live Skeie (Year 11) joined us in Term 3 for a 12 month exchange from Norway.
Alina Genz (Year 11) joined us in Term 3 for a short term - 4 week - exchange
from Germany through the Rotary Club of the Barossa Valley.
Sporting
Achievements
Parker Siegele (Year 8) represented Australia at the World
Wakeboarding Championships in Chuncheon, Korea in August.
Parker trained intensely for this event, sustaining a hairline
fracture which healed just in time before flying out to Seoul.
All the hard work paid off with Parker placing Third in the
finals. The Aussie team scored the Gold Team Medal against
26 countries. “Australia
winning the Gold and
me getting on the
podium was definitely
one of the highlights of
my wakeboarding” said
Parker.
Grace O’Connell (Year 10) was
selected by Hockey SA in the 2010
Under 18 and Under 21 State Squad
Teams, and has also been named as
‘Shadow Player’ for the 2010 Australian
Schoolgirls Team that will compete in
Malaysia/China. Earlier this year she
played in the Hockey SA State Zone
Championships, winning a gold medal
along with Faith team-mate, Sarah
Dolan (Year 11) in the Under 17 Girls
competition. Sarah Maul (Year 9) won Silver with the Under
15 Girls while Steven Draper (Year 11) and James Fox (Year
11) won Gold in the Under 17
Boys Team.
Rebecca Larecki (Year 10)
and Kirrilee Hay (Year 12)
were selected in the Girls
Under 17 State Lacrosse Team,
and competed in the National
Championships in Perth.

School
Activities & Events
1
7
4
5
6
7
2
There is always so much happening at Faith! Students and the
community have many opportunities to participate in a range of
events and activities, as shown by the photos on this page.
1. Year 9 ‘The Quest’ Event
2. Naruto University visit
3. ‘Generations in Jazz’ Swing Band
4. Athletics Day
5. Year 12 Camp
6. Year 10 Work Education
7. Aurecon Bridge Building Competition
8. Year 8 Village Challenge
9. Faith School Open Day
10. Year 11 Mock Interviews
11. Aquatics Day
8
10
3
7
9
11

Old Scholars
F.L.O.S.A.
Marriages
Karalee Angel-Smith (2000-2004) and Francis Georg
(2000-2004) were married on 13th December, 2008 in
Birdwood. The Bridal party included former students
Lealei Tan (2000-2004), Rhiannon Angel-Smith (2002-
2004), Tom Georg (2002-2006) and Kristian Preusker
(1994-1998), and current students Phoebe Georg and
Robin Georg. The couple now resides in Tea Tree Gully.
Francis is a data programmer and IT Honours student;
Karalee runs her own full-time wedding photography
business, ‘Angelsmith Photography’.
Shannon
Colbourne
(1996-2000)
and Paul
Coughlan
from NSW
were married
in the Rose
Garden
at Adelaide’s Botanic Park on 1st November, 2008,
followed by a reception at ‘The Observatory’. Attendants
were Anita Gaerth (1996-2000), Erin Colbourne
(1994-1998), David McConnell and Johnathon Hall. The
couple honeymooned in New Zealand and now reside in
Melbourne. Shannon is an employment consultant and
Paul studies Engineering at RMIT.
Melanie Pearn, nee Radke (1995-1999), married
Brendan Pearn on 27th June, 2009 at Langmeil Lutheran
Church in Tanunda. She has been a permanent full time
violinist with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
(WASO) since late ‘08, after completing a Master of
Music (Performance) in 2007, and a Bachelor of Music
(Honours-Performance) in 2003. Melanie taught violin at
St Peters College (‘01-08) and became a casual violinist
with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (‘03-08). Another
highlight for Melanie was touring throughout Australia and
Europe as a Member of the Australian Youth Orchestra
(‘03-05).
Graeme Kroehn (1995-1998) maried Amanda Fechner
(1998-2002) on 10th May, 2008. They own and manage
the family 2000 acre property at Keith.
General
Jack Hannath
(2004-2008) was
selected in the
South Australian
Under 18 Football
Team, playing
against country
Victoria at AAMI
Stadium in June.
They won 4 out of
5 matches, placing
them 2nd overall
in the Carnival. Jack has now been invited to attend the AFL
Draft Camp at the AIS in Canberra from 29th Sept.-2nd Oct,
one of 13 in SA to be invited. He is currently working with the
SANFL at AAMI Stadium in Youth Development.
Nicholas Wood (1993-1997) travelled and worked in Canada
and Europe after completing an electrical apprenticeship with
Group State Training. He now has his own electrical business
in Tanunda, Assured Class Electrical.
Ryan Wood (1997-2001) travelled and worked in the USA
and Europe after completing a Refrigeration Mechanic
apprenticeship at Southcorp. He worked at the BBC in the UK
for an extended period. Back in the Barossa, Ryan is fulfilling
his passion for fitness. He works part-time as a personal
trainer and part-time for Ref Tec Airconditioning.
Sarah Kubisch (1989-1993) has been living in London for the
past 7 years and is now a Financial Controller for an Italian
restaurant group, ‘Carluccios’. She has travelled intensely
within Europe and has visited over 40 European countries;
the benefit of being based in London! She hopes to return to
Sydney with her partner, Tim, in the near future.
Nathan Kubisch (1992-1996) married his English bride,
Jennifer in April 2008. They now reside in Greenock and
Nathan runs his own successful landscaping business,
‘Beyond Paving and Landscaping’.
Carly Kubisch (1995-1999) has spent the last 7 years in
London working for the travel industry where she was fortunate
to visit countries including Africa, Egypt, Argentina, Chile Peru,
Ecuador and New Zealand as part of her employment. She
moved to Sydney in September 2008 with her partner, Martin.
Both now work for travel companies.
Belinda Rowland (1992-1996) completed a double degree
in Mining Engineering and Geology in 2001, and has since
worked offshore on oil rigs. She is currently a Directional
Driller in Azerbaijan, returning to Adelaide during her breaks.
Andrew Sibenaler (1990-994) is a pilot in the RAAF. He
resides in Gawler, is married to Nikki and is a proud father of
daughter, Siahly, now 18 months old. He has done 3 tours of
duty in the Middle East.

Where
Are They Now?
Former Faith student, Tyson Yew (1999-2000), completed
a degree at the Australian Defence Force Academy and
graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He was
posted to the 3rd Battalion (Para), an elite infantry unit, being
the only airborne Battalion within the Australian Army.
Soldiers are required to be particularly physically fit in order to
serve in the battalion, and to pass a number of courses in the
School of Infantry and the Parachute Training School.
“Our thoughts and hopes are extended to all other
servicemen and women who are serving overseas
with our Australian Defence Forces.”
Elspeth Pitt (1996-2000) graduated
in Media Studies at the University of
Adelaide, then completed a Masters
in Art History. She worked in London
at the Victoria and Albert Museum as a
research assistant in 2006, but came
home to continue her studies while
working at the Art Gallery of South
Australia as an Assistant Curator of
Prints, Drawing and Photographs. In
July of this year, Elspeth received the combined Harold Wright
and Sarah and William Holmes Scholarships for study at the
British Museum in London. The Scholarship, only one of which
is awarded annually in the Southern Hemisphere, enables the
recipient to study the world’s largest collection of prints and
drawings for 12 months. Elspeth plans to take up her position
of Visiting Scholar in January, 2010.
Rebecca Noack (1987-1992), participated in Faith’s exchange
programme with Sister School, Charlotte Paulsen, in Hamburg.
After leaving school she completed an apprenticeship in the
automotive industry as a parts interpreter specialist with the
MTA Group Training scheme. She now lives in Mackay, QLD
where she is an administrator at PowerHouse Ford and looks
forward to becoming a financial controller in the dealership
within the next two years.
Recently promoted to the rank of Captain, he has served as an
Infantry Platoon Commander for the last 4 years, deployed to
Timor Leste in 2006 and Afghanistan in 2008. During this time
he has received several service medals
including the Infantry Combat Badge.
The photos shown here were taken
during the Afghan summer, also known
as the ‘Fighting Season’.
Inset: Tyson’s medals shown from left include Australian Active Service
Medal (With ICAT clasp), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Australian
Service Medal (With Timor Leste Clasp), Australian Defence Medal,
ISAF Medal.
Births
Simon Clemow (1989-1993) and wife Casey welcomed a
son Baelin Heath on 3rd November 2008.
Deaths
Myalls Fawcett (2004-2008) was
awarded the Adelaide Hills Council
‘Australia Day Young Citizen of the
Year’ for his involvement in Youth
Parliament and Youth Advisory
Committee. He was also sponsored by
Adelaide Legacy to experience youth
training and development aboard the
’Young Endeavour’.
Lachlan MacDonald, Year 11 student, was tragically killed in
a road accident at Tanunda on 8th May , 2009.
Jarrod Biagi, a much loved member of Faith’s Barossa Arts
and Convention Centre Theatre Technical Crew, was tragically
killed in a road accident at Tanunda on 27th May, 2009.
Memories of Jarrod and Lachlan will be forever in our hearts.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family and friends.

25th Anniversary Celebration
Arts Festival
Milestones are to be celebrated! Faith Lutheran School celebrates 25 years of operation
this year and we marked the occasion with a student Arts Festival that drew all of our Arts
strands together in one week-long programme. A vibrant Arts programme is a reflection
of a vibrant community, and this is what we are at Faith.
The Visual, Musical, Dance and Dramatic talents of our students and staff were highlighted
in a variety of events that included a Visual Arts Exhibition, ‘Game On’ Contemporary
Dance presentation and an energetic Year 12 Drama Production of ‘Wind in The Willows.’
The grand finale event was our ‘Centre Stage’ music showcase featuring our whole School
Band, String Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, ‘Us Five Guys’, vocalists and an exhilarating
sixty-voice choir. What a triumph it was!
Habitat for Humanity
Trip to Philippines
During the July school holidays, Faith Year 11
students Sarah Dolan, Sophie Grieger, James Fox
and Ben Plueckhahn, and teacher Ev Leske, had
a marvellous experience building concrete block
houses on the remote island of Palawan in the
Philippines.
The students were part of a team of 44 Year 11
students, teachers and youth leaders connected to
eight Lutheran schools from around South Australia.
Four houses were completed from foundation stage
to dedication and four others were also worked on,
in conjunction with a team from UNSW which was
building at the same time.
The Lutheran Schools’ Mission was the largest team
ever to work in the Philippines on a house building
p r o j e c t with ‘Habitat for Humanity’, a Christian
organisation dedicated to building solid, basic but comfortable homes
for needy families. The home partner families loved working with this
team of young Aussies and marvelled that they were able to see their
houses come to fruition in under two weeks.
The team worked hard in the heat (mixing concrete by hand to lay 168 square
metres of concrete for floors in six homes was tough, draining work), but the
relationships developed with the community at Bahile (44 kms from the city of
Puerto Princesa) made it all worthwhile, and the chance to do a ‘homestay’
with the families was rated a highlight by the whole group.
Fellowship and food provided by the community for the team was overwhelming.
Friendships developed between students from different schools, between
team members and drivers, between Aussies and local builders working
side by side. A final highlight for the group was to visit Habitat’s mid-rise
apartment block project in Taguig City in Manila, where the 2007 Lutheran
Schools Mission worked last year on eight apartments. The group saw the
impact it had made on the lives of the families now housed there.
Back at school, the group talked about their amazing experience and
shared some of what they learnt with the Faith community during
a whole school Chapel devotion held at the start of Term 3.
FAITH LUTHERAN SCHOOL - BOX 296, TANUNDA SA 5352 - Phone: (08) 8561 4200 - Fax (08) 8563 2408 - e: office@faith.sa.edu.au w: www.faith.sa.edu.au