Loxton Lutheran School

Good quality schooling as a part of life-long education, enables students to develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset is necessary for the development of healthy self-belief and enables learners to go places they otherwise may have thought not possible. The future is exciting and unknown and as knowledge continually changes, learning how to learn better is the only way we can ensure success for our children.

This essentially provides them with choices in life as to whom and what they want to be. A good quality Christian Education therefore, develops and enhances the spiritual dimension and well-being of each person, potentially setting them apart. Development and formation of the whole child, is the core business of Loxton Lutheran School.

Our passionate and inspired staff have the best interests of the children at heart, with a focus on developing strong relationships and connections with each child. We do this through developing positive learning cultures in our learning spaces and welcoming families into partnership of learning.  We strive to provide experiences where the Christian faith is explored and developed with a strong sense of joy, hope and optimism. I believe that this, together with resilience, is imperative to a child’s success in life and is a major contributing factor to a child’s overall development and well-being.

We strong advocate for parental involvement in the school community and engagement in learning and as such, expect that the parents of Loxton Lutheran School will want to take an active role in the education of their children. Education begins at birth and so our staff builds on the foundations laid by parents in the home, where children first learn about themselves and others. Parents play a vital role in supporting the learning processes as well as building a happy, healthy and resilient community.

It is set on spacious grounds, with established trees and native gardens.  All classrooms are roomy, air-conditioned and well equipped with resources of a high standard. A large multi-purpose building is used for weekly Chapel services, Assemblies, visiting concerts, other indoor activities and parent functions.  A modern Resource Centre comprises the Library, Computer Room and Special Education Room. Playground equipment is well maintained and regularly upgraded to provide quality play opportunities for students.

The school is committed to maintaining a modern profile with regards to its buildings and facilities. The school owns a bus with air-conditioning and seatbelts which is used to transport children on a daily basis from the Renmark and Berri areas.  Classes also utilise the bus for local educational excursions.

The Lutheran School in Loxton was first established in 1947.  For the first six years school had been conducted in a converted house in Fourth Street.  Due to increasing enrolments, it was essential that a school be built.  After Parish discussions and planning permission was given in August 1952, O.E. Bradtke supplied building materials and supervised the erection of the first school building.   The project began with a band of willing workers pouring the foundations and making cement bricks.

The years spent in primary school should be amongst the happiest of a person's life. We believe that children who are nurtured, feel safe, and are valued as special and unique human beings learn well. Apart from a firm grounding in the basics the educational offering in our school is broad and includes:

• Transition programs which assist those children who are either coming into Reception or moving onto High School.
• Suport staff for Mathematics and Literacy
• An early intervention program involving Reading Recovery, phonemic awareness and early screening of progress
• Release of a staff member to co-ordinate activities for gifted and talented students
• Teacher collaborating when planning curriculum, both within and across year levels. An integrated approach to the curriculum is often adopted.
• 'Buddying' or peer support activities across the year levels
• An ongoing program of visiting performers and artists
• Manageable class sizes and generous teaching spaces
• Daily fitness program for all classes
• Home visits for new reception students
• Strong emphasis on English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Society and Environment and Health and Personal Development. Classroom teachers teach these subjects.
• A German program for all year levels which includes an emphasis on cultural awareness and linguistics
• An effective curriculum support program for children needing extra assistance to maintain learning progress
• An outstanding specialist program, which develops skills in physical education, music, drama, computing, art and German
• Excellent opportunities for children to become involved in school choir and instrumental tuition, including keyboard, guitar and trumpet
• A fine balance of age, experience, gender, skills and interests within a very professional, diligent, energetic and caring staff team.