Our Mission and Values serve as the foundation of our educational approach. They inform our sense of purpose and direction, and guide us in our efforts to provide an exceptional education that prepares our students for success in all their future endeavours.
College Mission
Celebrating the Gospel of Christ
At St Andrews we celebrate and share the “Good News” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We see each student as a unique creation of God, as a person whom he loves and with whom he desires a relationship. Through regular worship and our P-12 Christian Studies program we aim to provide students with a thorough understanding of Biblical Christianity and trust that the Holy Spirit will work faith in their lives. Christian teaching at the College is based on the doctrines of the Lutheran Church of Australia, although students from a variety of church and non-church backgrounds are welcomed into the community.
Nurturing the Individual
St Andrews is known as a community where people matter. No-one is lost in the crowd at St Andrews. Most of our enrolments come about through word of mouth: we are recommended by parents and students who, quite simply, love the College. Each staff member makes a special effort to know and care for the individual students in their charge. Staff do not follow a “one size fits all” approach but strive to develop individual pathways for students according to their particular interests and talents, especially in secondary school.
Empowering Lifelong Learners
Because we believe that all useful knowledge and learning is a wonderful gift of God for our growth as human beings, we value academic excellence. We also recognise that each child has different but special gifts that need to be identified and developed to the fullest. Thus we provide a wide range of curricular and co-curricular activities at all levels and empower students to strive towards their own personal best in their chosen fields. In our classes, learning how to learn is emphasised so that young people have the skills to become lifelong and life-wide learners.
Graduate Statement
An 'Andrian' strives to be a compassionate, principled, and thoughtful individual who embodies Christ’s love, justice and humility. They are a person who nurtures positive relationships, pursues lifelong learning, and contributes to humanity with determination, courage and a commitment to excellence.
We are Committed to and Value:
Faith and Grace - ‘The Spirit of Hope’
We acknowledge God’s Word as the authority and guide for the community. In it Christ is revealed, providing the centre of all we do under God’s grace. Faith enables us to look forward with expectation and confidence, placing our trust in God’s provision.
Learning - ‘The Spirit of Inquiry’
Seeking knowledge, reason, wisdom and truth is core to a St Andrews Education. We believe the joy and challenge of ongoing learning is fundamental to life, and encourage inquiry and curiosity. Each member of our community is charged with the responsibility to learn to their fullest potential, and is called to be a lifelong learner.
Personal Bests – ‘The Spirit of Excellence’
The quest for personal bests in an education which is authentic, life-related and future-orientated. It encourages us each to strive for excellence, not just for ourselves alone, but to make a difference in the world. Achievement and continuous improvement are actively encouraged, supported, recognised and celebrated.
Growth – 'The Spirit of Character’
A St Andrews Education focuses on developing the whole child. At St Andrews we strive to intentionally develop young men and women who are caring, compassionate, ethical, moral, resilient, courageous, disciplined and respectful.
Integrity – ‘The Spirit of Honour’
Integrity is at the core of how others see us and as such, we seek to be hold fast to what is good, by being honest, fair, trustworthy, respectful and ethical in everything we do. Integrity means we do the right thing and make the right choices, even when no one is watching.
Community – ‘The Spirit of Belonging and Care’
St Andrews is a community with a shared sense of belonging, identity and connectedness. Living in and building community means that we treat people with love, respect and concern. We value the whole person, and show that each person really matters to us and our community.
Service – ‘The Spirit of Selflessness’
We believe that we are to serve one another and the community. Selfless giving and making a difference in the lives of others by identifying and responding to their needs typifies the ‘Andrian’ spirit.
The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration
As part of our commitment to high-quality education and equity, we align with the goals outlined in the Alice Springs Education Declaration.
On solid rock our school St Andrews is found, Jesus Christ is our foundation and our cornerstone. And when we find that all our learning here is done, to Christ remain faithful, true to Him alone.
College Crest
Our brand reflects our christian values and our heritage with the Luther rose, St Andrew Cross and shield of faith. It also represents our mission and our covenant regarding relationships within the St Andrews community.
The Cross of St Andrew
As it was Andrew that introduced his brother to Christ, we too are called to introduce our brothers and sisters to Christ. The cross of St Andrew is found on the shield to represent St Andrew who our school is named after.
Luther’s Rose
Luther’s Rose is widely recognized as the symbol for Lutheranism. It was designed for Martin Luther and was used as his seal to authorize his writings or communication. St Andrews is a school of the Lutheran Church and our College values are based on the Church’s values.
The Shield
The Shield Is based on Ephesians 6:16, "The shield of faith to protect us". All are protected by the Word of God.
Blue
Represents the word of God. Blue is the colour of the sky and a reminder of the heavenly realm.
College Motto
Semper Fidelis, means ‘always faithful’. As Christ is always faithful to us, so we desire to be faithful to Him, to His Word in the Bible and each other as members in the St Andrews community.
Students are encouraged to demonstrate commitment, act with integrity and serve and help others. In doing so they are being 'always faithful'.
