Dear Parents and Caregivers

I can hardly believe that we find ourselves at the end of Term 3 already! What a busy but productive term it has been at Concordia. It has been fitting that after a year of interrupted school in 2020, we were able to celebrate 75 years of history, traditions and long lasting friendships while plotting the next exciting course for the Concordia community.

Thank you for the incredibly friendly welcome, encouraging conversations and support which have been shown to me over the past 10 weeks. I am in awe of the strong sense of community which defines us as a College, as well as the incredible pastoral care which I see happening around me every day.

This week has seen the start of the formal functions which will take place over the coming few weeks as we farewell and graduate our Year 12 students from Concordia. Wednesday night saw us acknowledge our Year 12 Boarding students and their families as they wrap up a journey which has moulded them into very independent young people and forged life-long friendships. 

Yesterday evening was all about our Year 12 students dressing up, arriving in style and farewelling the Year 12 cohort with their parents and College staff with a formal dinner. I hope that you enjoyed the Valedictory Dinner arrivals and that a sense of tradition, importance and rite of passage was part of your night too. I need to acknowledge these young adults for the way in which they presented themselves and represented their respective families at these events. Thank you to the parents and caregivers of these students for the support of your student this past week.

As I write these lines, I am looking forward to a couple of important events in the Concordia calendar – the Boarder Recognition Dinner and then the Year 12 Valedictory arrivals and dinner. Two more firsts at Concordia for me, and important events for the Year 12s as they near the end of their schooling journey and prepare to step out into life beyond school.

It is important that we recognise and celebrate this important milestone in their journey, which marks an end of an important period in their lives and in our journey with them. This is also cause for reflection, to look back, take stock where they have been, what they have learned (or perhaps better what we have learned together), the relationships they have built and how they have grown over these last 13 years – and perhaps through the ups and downs of this time to give thanks for the many blessings that we receive on a daily basis.

Did you know that for just $26 a child in a refugee camp like Kakuma, Kenia, can go to school for a whole year? Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) has been providing support for children like this for many years, and many Lutheran school across Australia have been inspired by this initiative.

So, early Term 4 Concordia Lutheran College is challenged to Walk my Way, and help send some more children to school and so gain a better future.

The challenge is to walk 26km – and we are doing this as a community: Each Home Class is challenged to walk 2km over the first three weeks of Term 4 (13 Home Classes x 2 = 26km). The Year 9s will do something at camp and the two Junior College campuses are also joining in.

Please click here for the Training Schedule for Term 3, Week 10 and Term 4.

As part of our Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum, we have organised an excursion for Tuesday 12 October, to St Helena Island for our Year 5 students to develop their knowledge and understanding of prison life experiences. Please click on the parent letter for more information. Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Thursday 16 September.

• Login to Parent Lounge >
• Click on Events & Payments >
• Click on - JC 2021 Year 5 St Helena Island Excursion >
• Accept >
• Save

Important Note: Please check and ensure your child's medical conditions and Emergency Contact Information is up to date.

On Friday 8 October, our Year 5 students will be attending a leadership day at Koojarewon Youth Camp. Please see the attached parent letter for more information.

PERMISSION REQUIRED:
Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Friday 17 September 2021:
• Login to Parent Lounge >
• click on Events & Payments >
• click on JC 2021 Year 5 Leadership Day >
• Accept / Decline >
• Save

Important Note: After submitting your permission, please check and ensure your Parent Lounge Portal is up-to-date regarding your child’s Emergency Contact Info and Medical Conditions.

Should you any further queries regarding this event, please contact your child’s teacher.

Care Outreach has been supporting Outback families for over 25 years. Many rural and remote families are in their tenth year of drought. These families need us more than ever this Christmas.

In Term 4, the Junior College will be again supporting Care Outreach with their Christmas for the Bush appeal. You can help by donating:

• Non-perishable food and Christmas treats
• Toys and family gifts
• Toiletries
• Pre-paid visa cards

Donation baskets will be placed in every classroom. 100% goes to our farmers! For other specific needs, please visit Care Outreach and click on the 'Christmas for the Bush' tab.

The Scholastic Book Club orders have arrived and have been sent home with the children this week. Please note, if you are waiting on a back order, I will be keeping an eye out for those and will give them to your child as soon as they arrive early next term. 

Thank you to all those families who have assisted their children in locating overdue library books. Any library books that were overdue as at the end of August or prior to that were billed for the replacement cost. If you are able to find these books over the holidays, please return them as soon as possible for a credit. 

I hope you and your family enjoy a lovely break and look forward to seeing the children all back fresh for Term 4.

Mrs Karen Maben
Junior College Library Coordinator

Term 4 will see the beginning of our process in choosing leadership for 2022. We look forward to this process. If your child is interested in reading a little about this over the holidays, please click here to view the Junior College Student Leadership Handbook.

Let’s do a quick recap of our term … NAIDOC art, Prepping for Prep, Year 3 Camp, Year 6 Cairns Trip, Year 1 Excursion to Lone Pine, Year 3 Cobb+Co and History Walk, Prep and Kindy’s Excursion to the Farm, Swimming Lessons, Book Week, PJ Storytime, Festival of Learning, Grandparents’ Day, Fathers’ Day Breakfast, Toowoomba Chess Teams Comp, QCIS and that doesn’t even count the massive amount of learning that has been occurring.  No wonder we are all exhausted and needing a break.

The Year 6 students have had a fabulous week and we look forward to welcoming them back Friday afternoon. A message came from Mrs Libby Scouller that made Mrs Jackie Minnikin and my heart’s sing and it will make our parent’s swell with pride too. “A member of the public came up to me to compliment us on the wonderful behaviour of our students on the boat yesterday. She admitted to being dubious when she saw a school was boarding yesterday morning, but said we pleasantly surprised her. She wanted us to make sure the students knew how polite and well mannered they were. Such a privilege to be on camp with this wonderful group of students.”

We pray that you have an amazing break and that you get to spend quality time with your family and friends. We look forward to seeing you in Term 4 to start our learning again.

Click here to view HSC's Events for Term 4, Week 1.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy time together.

Mrs Juanetta Priest
Director of Campus

Please note that there will not be any tuckshop in Week 1. Tuckshop will resume in Term 4 Week 2.

Tennis coaching will be available for Term 4. Please click below for the relevant information:

• Years 1 to 6
• Prep

On Friday 15 October, students from Years 3 to 6 will commence their swimming lessons at the Concordia Aquatic Centre. Each of these classes will participate in eight lessons over Term 4. Click Here for the swimming timetable.

Please ensure that students have the following:

• Dressing gown - this is great for the students to wear to and from the pool as we don't know what the weather is going to be like;
• Thongs
• Swimming togs - it would be great for Years 5 & 6 to wear their togs to school as they will be leaving straight after assembly on Fridays
• Goggles
• House swimming cap
• Towel

To avoid any lost items, please clearly label all of your child's items including their shoes, underwear and uniform.

On Friday 15 October 2021 the Hume Street Campus will be holding a movie night from 5.30pm. The movie, The Secret Life of Pets 2, will be screening from 6pm with food and refreshments available.

For more information please see the flyer below. To register your attendance please click here. 

HSC Movie Night Flyer

Term 4 will see a change in the day that the HSC Library is open at 7.30am. 

Our fabulous Encouraging Cup Coffe Van has changed to attending on a Friday morning. To coincide with this change we will open the Library on Friday morning instead of Thursday. 

Please note that there will not be any tuckshop in Week 1. Tuckshop will resume in Term 4 Week 2.

As I write this message to you all today, I have been thinking back over the last ten weeks, and find it hard to believe that here we are again at the end of another term. Whether your child is in Prep, Year 5 or even Year 12, school life is a busy one with barely a moment to breathe. I hope that you are able to take the time to breathe over the next two weeks as the weather warms up and you get the opportunity to slow down and relax over the break.

Today, we say farewell to Mrs Barbara Riehl as she takes the remainder of the year as her Long Service Leave. We thank you Mrs Riehl for all of your hard work again this year, and hope that you enjoy some well deserved time off. Mrs Suzette Vermeulen will be teaching Year 4 in Term 4 and we welcome her to WSC. Mrs V is well known to all of our students and we look forward to having her as a part of the team.

Thank you again for another great term at WSC. I look forward to seeing you all relaxed, refreshed and maybe a little more tanned, in a couple of weeks. 

Click here to view WSC's Events for Term 4, Week 1.

Blessings for the week ahead.

Mrs Jackie Minnikin
Director of Campus

Tennis coaching will be available for Term 4. Please click below for the relevant information:

• Years 1 to 6
• Prep

Last night, the red carpet was rolled out as we celebrated the Formal Arrivals with our Class of 2021. It was a fantastic occasion with a full complement of parents, friends and past and present students also being able to witness this significant milestone for our Seniors.

In the season where there are so many restrictions in place nationally, I find myself being extra grateful for any gathering or event, such as this one, that can be run in its full format. Behind the scenes, there is an extraordinary amount of effort required to organise and run an event such as this and I want to publicly thank Mrs Natalie Houston and the team of staff, parents, friends and students who worked alongside her to create such a magnificent night for our students. It was certainly a night to remember.

Over the last three weeks of Term 3, many Middle College students have been battling it out for the Chess Champion title of 2021.

In the finals, Adam Armstrong went on to defend his 2020 title playing against Flynn Eldridge Hayes. This is the second year in a row  these boys have battled it out for the winning trophy.

Unfortunately for Flynn, Adam played a tactical game which crowned him as the reigning champion for 2021, retaining his previous title as Champion Chess player.

Mrs Roslyn Cook
Year Level and Pastoral Coordinator (Years 6-8)

This year the standard of the writing competition entries was extremely high. Thank you to all of those students who submitted entries. The winners will have their stories added to the 2021 Anthology book of excellent writing which Mrs Heidi Edwards collates each year for the English department. 

• 1st  place - Samuel Wong 
• 2nd place - Bruce Omanga 
• 3rd place - Joshua Walkington 

Highly Commended awarded to Cate Stangherlin and Kataya Krienke. 

Next year this annual competition will be even bigger and better! 

Mrs Roslyn Cook
Year Level and Pastoral Coordinator - Years 6-8

There is quite a number of items in the Lost Property box currently. Please visit Student Reception if you are missing any items.

What a great weekend in sport it was last week: 

• Grace Webcke – Netball - U17s Future Panthers in Brisbane, WON!
• Carolyn Marschall – Netball – U17s Dominos, Runners Up  
• Lauren Makings – Rugby League – U15s Brothers, Runners Up
• Kaitlyn Zelinski - Rugby League – U17s Valleys, Runner UP
• Bridie Lindenmayer – Hockey – J1 and A2, Newtown Lions J1 – Runners Up – A2 WON!
• Maddie Geiger – Hockey – J2 and J1 Newtown Lions – J2 Won – J1 Runners up  
• Caitlyn Bailey – U15 and U17 All Stars Basketball – U15 Won – U17 Won
• U17 Concordia Basketball Team – U17 CLC All Stars, Runners UP

Additional congratulations to:  

• Bridie Lindenmayer for being awarded the J1 most improved player for the season
• Maddie Geiger for being awarded the Team Spirit award

Mrs Jana Anderson
SSC Sports Coordinator

Our dining room was transformed into beautifully set tables, lighting to fit the mood, a PA system that had everyone attentive and a room full of very proud parents and teachers alike. Peers and junior students were all waiting for the farewell speeches.

While we have a small boarding cohort, the hearts of these students are huge. Personal, heart-filled references to 'my brothers' and 'my sisters' resonated throughout the entire evening. Year 12 students spoke candidly and from the heart, reminiscing about early days, first days and last days, late nights and early mornings.