Surging: Eastside Lutheran College experiences strong growth during the past five years
The state’s fastest growing school has a simple and fun outlook for its kindergarten students: “If they are dirty, happy and tired at the end of the school day, it’s been a good day.”
WENDY Ruback is taking charge of a school very much on the rise.
Eastside Lutheran College, in Warrane on Hobart’s Eastern Shore, is the fastest growing school in Tasmania in the five years from 2013 to 2018, Federal Government education data reveals.
The school’s student population grew 167 per cent in that period, and it continues to expand, with 325 students enrolled for 2020 and the college intending to offer Years 11 and 12 for the first time in 2021.
EXCLUSIVE INTERACTIVE: SEARCH AND COMPARE THE STATE’S FASTEST-GROWING SCHOOLS
College head Ms Ruback had worked as Dean of Students at Eastside for several years before taking on the acting principal role for the past year. She was recently appointed principal following the retirement of the long-serving Ralph Zapart.
Ms Ruback credits Mr Zapart’s leadership and the college culture as key factors in its growth and says the family-oriented program built on Christian values is a successful formula.
“Being a small college allows us to provide special programs for our students and to change what we do if the needs of the students and families change,” she said.
Ms Ruback said Eastside’s specific programs started in kindergarten, with students encouraged to embrace nature play.
“We love to see our kinders playing, climbing, digging and imagining,” she said.
“If they are dirty, happy and tired at the end of the school day, it’s been a good day.
“This has been so successful that we have taken some of these outdoor exploration ideas to year levels up to Year 4.”
Another thing that sets Eastside College apart is animals at its campus.
The school has dogs, ducks, geese, chickens, peacocks, alpacas, goats and sheep for students and staff to interact with.
“They [animals] are spoiled with love and affection by the staff and students,” Ms Ruback said. “And they are wonderful therapy [for all].”
MORE SCHOOLS ANALYSIS:
Search and compare all Tasmanian schools’ student-teacher ratios
50 Tasmanian schools with worst teacher-student ratios
50 Tasmanian schools with best teacher-student ratios
Best and worst ratios in Hobart schools revealed
Best and worst ratios in Launceston schools revealed
Best and worst ratios in North-West schools revealed
Ms Ruback said high school students had choices from traditional core subjects to specialist classes such as music and drama, outdoor and environmental education, ethics, philosophy and child studies.
In particular, the school is proud of a nationally recognised HUB program, an area where students with particular needs are catered for, whether through assisted learning, or if they “just need some space”.
“These students range from students who are gifted, students who are anxious, students who have learning differences, and many others,” Ms Ruback said.
“It’s a wonderful mix of students all being catered for through individual programs with close to one-on-one assistance.”
Eastside Lutheran College, originally named St Peter’s Lutheran School, was established in 1982 with just 11 students. It moved from its Davey St location to the Eastern Shore in 1985.
Ms Ruback said the school’s more recent rapid expansion was not without its challenges.
“As a non-selective, low-fee-paying independent school, money is always an issue and we have to prioritise what is best for our students and families each year,” she said.
“Building new buildings is always costly and we seem to build new classrooms and need more immediately.
“As a team, we’ve had to learn to be very flexible and ready for change each year.”
St Michael’s Collegiate school announces new principal
