It also enables students to forge lifelong friendships across year levels and develop key skills in collaboration and leadership.
Through House activities, students have the opportunity to experience that all-important feeling of being part of a close-knit community that is striving towards a shared goal.
The positive House culture at Tatachilla has proven to increase student engagement and motivation, reinforce students’ sense of connectedness, enhance staff–student relationships and facilitate fun and friendly competition.
At Tatachilla, siblings typically belong to the same House.
Each House within the college is founded on the rock of Christ and as such, is named after a gemstone found in nature: Emerald (green); Ruby (red); Sapphire (blue); and Topaz (yellow).
Different gemstones originate in different types of rocks and conditions and therefore have different characteristics. This reminds us that we are all unique parts of God’s creation and that each House will naturally have its own distinctive strengths and personality.
Each House is led by a House Coordinator who is a member of staff and whose role it is to turn House events into meaningful cultural experiences that generate a strong sense of belonging and unity across the college.
House captains are appointed from the student body in Year 6 and Year 12. House captains play an important role in championing their House team throughout the course of the year and assisting in the successful coordination of House events.
Children come together with their House teams several times a year to earn House points through sport, music, art and philanthropy.
House activities include (but are not limited to) charity events, Book Week celebrations, the college ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition, food and sideshow stalls at the college’s Twilight Food Affair, sports days and the whole-of-school cross-country event.
The House that accumulates the most House points across all House events in a single year is awarded the coveted RE Bruss Shield, named after the college’s first principal, Richard Bruss.
The House that demonstrates the greatest camaraderie and level of collaboration over the course of the entire school year is awarded the House Spirit Award.
Kaurna Country
211 Tatachilla Road, McLaren Vale
South Australia 5171
Phone +61 8 8323 9588
E-mail tlc@tatachilla.sa.edu.au
