Concordia College (South Australia)
Concordia College (CC) is an ELC-12 private, co-educational Lutheran school located in Highgate, Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1890, the College is a school of the Lutheran Church of Australia and has been an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School since January 2001, offering the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. "Concordia" is a Latin word meaning "harmony". History. The College's existence is largely due to the vision and enterprise of W. F. Peters, a Lutheran pastor in the Victorian country township of Murtoa, who purchased a private school founded there in 1887  by T. W. Boehm and established it in 1890 as a boys' college and training ground for future pastors and teachers. Lutheran leaders in South Australia recognised that the College was too important to the future of the church for it to remain in a remote country town in Victoria, so Concordia moved to its present Highgate site in 1905. Due largely to the efforts of Pastor P. B. Zweck, Concordia became a Christian co-educational secondary college in 1927, operating under the South Australian District Synod of the Lutheran Church of Australia. Today the College is not only for  Lutheran families, but for all students whose parents are prepared to support the educational program and Christian ethos. In 2016 Concordia College amalgamated with the neighbouring St John's Lutheran Primary School to form the new ELC to Year 12 Concordia College. The amalgamation was largely made possible thanks to the endeavours of past principal Lester Saegenschnitter. Continued leadership restructuring occurred throughout 2021 and 2022, which led to the creation of a new role, "Head of College", that holds responsibility across the entirety of the college. The Head of College is supported by two principals: Principal - Primary School (St John 's Campus) and Principal - Middle and Senior School (Concordia Campus). Campus. Concordia is located on two adjacent campuses in suburban Highgate, south of the Adelaide CBD. The St John's Campus caters for students from Early Learning Centre to Year 6 while the Concordia Campus is for students in Years 7 to 12. The Concordia Campus includes: Curriculum. Middle school. The Middle School Curriculum in Years 7 - 10 incorporates the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP). Students in Years 7 and 8 undertake a common course, except in 'Language B', where they choose from German or Chinese. An after-hours  Special Interest Music Program is available to selected students in Year 8. Students in Years 9 and 10 are able to make subject choices in The Arts and Technology learning areas. Senior School. In Years 11 & 12, students are taught per the curriculum of the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE). The IB Diploma Programme was offered as an alternative until 2022 when it was terminated due to lack of interest. Co-curriculum. Students can choose to participate in a range of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs and activities according to their individual interests and abilities. Co-curricular programs  and activities offered include national subject competitions, career counselling and work experience, excursions, field camps and instrumental music tuition. Other extra-curricular programs include Middle School, Year 9 & Senior School choirs, the annual College musical, Big Bands, School Orchestra, Concert Band, Music Ensembles (Concert Vocal, String, Percussion), Chapel music, Chess Club, Debating, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Pedal Prix, Snow Trip, Writers' Club, Mind and Body Club, Electronics Club and House competitions. Student leadership. Students from any year level may participate in Forum (a Student Representative Council) and students in Year 12 may become a House Captain, Student Leader, Deputy  School Captain or School Captain. Students may also volunteer for respective leadership roles in their year level, such as, Year 9 Ambassador, Peer Support Leader or Year 12 Action Leader. Musicals. Concordia students may participate in the annual College musical. The musicals were performed at the Scott Theatre until 2009, then moved to the Hopgood Theatre for the musical Grease. The Sound of Music in April 2014 was the first Concordia musical to be held in the College Chapel. While Godspell was also held in the Chapel, the 2016 performance of Hairspray was once again in the Hopgood Theatre. The  performances are generally held in March or April. A long-established tradition, these musicals are a showcase of the music and drama departments. In 2020, all performances of the College Musical were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a performance in the College Chapel without an audience was filmed. Musicals presented have included: Others in previous years have included: "L'il Abner, Carousel", "My Fair Lady", "Annie Get Your Gun", "The Boy Friend", "Fiddler on the Roof", "The Pirates of Penzance", "Calamity Jane", Viva Mexico, "Ruddigore", "HMS Pinafore", Can You Imagine, "Free As Air", A Penny For a Song, God  So Loved, Where Is God, "Anything Goes", Tom Sawyer, "Salad Days", and "Trial By Jury". Sport. Concordia College is a member of the Sports Association for Adelaide Schools (SAAS), and the Independent Girls Schools Sports Association (IGSSA). The sports offered at the College include: basketball, cricket, cross country, football, hockey, netball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Students also have the opportunity to participate in: IGSSA premierships. Concordia College has won the following IGSSA premierships. House system. As with most Australian schools, Concordia College utilises a house system. There are currently four houses, three named after three of the streets  surrounding the College and the fourth, Malvern after the neighbouring suburb. Students represent their house in a number of activities, including Sports Day, Swimming Carnival and lunchtime house sports. Students earn points for their house through participation in these activities, and the house with the most points at the conclusion of the school year is awarded the House Shield.