The Week Ahead - Term 1, Week 2
Monday 1 February to Friday 5 February 2021
From the Head of College
Welcome to the first edition of The Week Ahead for the 2021 school year. It is my prayer that all in our school community have had a relaxing and well-deserved break and that everyone is looking towards an exciting year.
This year is the Concordia Lutheran College 75th Anniversary and we look forward to the celebrations. The first event will be with students and staff on 15 February when we will celebrate the ‘official’ first day dedication of the College (13 February 1946). Other celebrations for our wider community are scheduled for the second half of the year in the hope that conditions will allow for an easing of restrictions.
As we start the year, there are a few matters to bring to your attention:
1.Staffing update
2.Learning in Residence
3.General news
4.Child Protection Policy and Procedures
As with any year, we are excited to welcome several new staff members. Welcome to Stephen Street teaching staff: Ms Natalie Houston (Years 11/12 Coordinator), Ms Rachel Scott, Ms Angela Sten (Head of Department English), Ms Tonya Fietchner, Mr Shanaal De Zoysa, Ms Sandra Hewett and Ms Alexandra Morton. We also welcome Ms Alissa Turner to our Hume Street Campus teaching staff. Every blessing to our new and continuing staff as they continue to make a difference in the classrooms at Concordia Lutheran College.
From the College Pastor
Community News
Coffee Vouchers
Hop Thru Cafe has very kindly donated vouchers to Concordia for one free coffee! Junior College families can collect and use their voucher during Week 2 (31 January to 6 February) and Stephen Street Campus families can enjoy theirs during Week 3 (7 to 13 February).
SSC students can collect vouchers from the Reception desk during Week 2.
Hop Thru Cafe are located at 2/247 James Street.
Inter-House Swimming Carnival
The 2021 Inter-House Swimming Carnival is being held on Friday 5 February at the Concordia Aquatic Centre. Please click here to view the program for the day. Please note we are unable to accommodate parent spectators due to the COVID-19 restrictions that are in place for the Aquatic Centre.
Ensemble Rehearsals
Calling all Concordia Old Scholars!
Were you a past student of Concordia?
This year the College celebrates our 75th anniversary.
We want to reconnect with as many former students and staff members as possible so that we can celebrate this important milestone with our extended community.
If you are a past student, or Old Scholar as we like to refer to you as, please complete the below form to ensure you are on our Old Scholars database.
We would also be incredibly grateful if you could please share the link with your old school mates from Concordia to encourage them to update their details.
Due to Covid-19, we have pushed our major 75th anniversary community event back to Saturday 4 September in the hope that restrictions will have eased further. More details of this event will be released throughout the year.
Mrs Bianca Coleborn
Director of Marketing & Enrolments
Project Based Learning at Concordia
Junior College
Loop Book Club Orders
A note about Book Club
Welcome to all our new families and welcome back to our continuing families. The first issue of Book Club is coming home over the next few days. The Junior campuses use LOOP (Linked Ordering and Online Payment). For those who are unfamiliar with it, here’s what you need to know:
LOOP enables parents to order and pay for their child’s book club order online.
LOOP does NOT apply to those parents wishing to pay for their order with cash – those orders will continue as before with the form being submitted to either Mrs Lynch or Mrs Paynter.
To order through LOOP, go to www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP , register and set up an online profile with a password.
You can add your child’s name and select their class and, by entering the 4350 postcode, you will be able to select their school from the drop down box.
The Junior campuses are set up as Concordia Hume Street Campus and Concordia Warwick St Campus.
It is so easy and straightforward that even I had no trouble with it (old dog, new trick).
Once your order is submitted, I will confirm the order at the cut-off date and the books will arrive at the school in due course. Please do be mindful of the cut-off date written on the front of each catalogue. After this time, on-line ordering will close.
I think I have covered everything but for more information, follow this link: http://www.scholastic.com.au/schools/bookclub/assets/pdfs/LOOP_howtoorder_new.pdf
Outside School Hours Care
Stephen Street Campus
Known and Loved
Welcome and welcome back to Stephen Street Campus for 2021. With close to 70 students who are new to our campus, there is certainly a buzz in the air. We look forward to seeing each of them become involved in the life of the College as they launch into this next chapter of life.
I have spoken to staff and students around the thought of what it might mean to be fully known and fully loved. There is a “God thought” in all of this, in that we are each fully known by God and unconditionally loved. As humans, we tend to choose all sorts of emotions in responses to each other instead of love. My challenge to our community is that we choose to lean towards love, patience, kindness, gentleness and the truth. As our College song reminds us, each one of us is on a journey and it is truly a privilege to share and celebrate each other’s journey.
2021 will see Stephen Street Campus continue to refine and build on making all aspects of learning and teaching visible. Our Learning Management System, visible in Student Café and Parent Lounge, and Microsoft Teams have reshaped the way that we deliver learning and assessment.
As I write this, assessment tasks and learning resources will have been populated into these platforms which can be accessed anywhere, anytime. As parents and guardians, I encourage you to spend some time with your children and ask them to take you on a guided tour through these two platforms. Results and feedback from all assessment items are visible to parents and students from when teachers finalise their marking.
Next week will be bookended by two exciting events. On Monday we will be holding our third Scholars' Assembly. This year will be our biggest so far as we are joined by our highest achieving students from the Class of 2020. Merit Awards, Academic Excellence, Overall Excellence and College Dux will be presented. We will be joined by past student, Kathleen Jennings, author and illustrator, and look forward to hearing more of her story as she shares this with us.
On Friday, we will be holding the Inter-House Swimming Carnival. The SSC carnival will start at 1.30pm and finish at 5.30pm. However, students may choose to leave from the end of the school day if they are not competing. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate parent spectators due to the COVID-19 restrictions that are in place for the Aquatic Centre.
Have a great weekend.
Mr Jason Smith
Director of Campus
Learning and Innovation
Welcome parents to the 2021 academic year. I look forward to a fantastic year of learning and teaching at Concordia.
If you have any curriculum or learning issues that occur for your child during the year, please contact the subject teacher in the first instance. The Head of Department should then be the next step for you if you need to make teachers aware of any concerns that are occurring for your child in their learning journey.
There are a number of forms that can assist students in applying for an extension due to an illness and misadventure, exam changes and change of subject forms. All forms are available at Student Reception.
I look forward to meeting many of you at the Subject Information Evening and the Elevate Study Skills Parent Session which will be held during the next few weeks.
Ms Wendy Bowen
Director of Learning and Innovation
Senior College Assessment Guidelines
There have been a significant number of changes in regards to assessment which have come from QCAA. This new Assessment Guidelines document reflects for parents and students the changes to the new syllabus requirements in regards to assessment. I would strongly encourage you to please read this important document. Please click here to access the Assessment Guidelines handbook.
This handbook is also available in Parent Lounge and Student Cafe under School Links > Learning & Innovation.
Ms Wendy Bowen
Director of Learning & Innovation
An Introduction to Elevate
SSC Term 1 Training
Students who are attending early morning trainings can purchase breakfast at the canteen for $5. Menu varies each day so check out the current week's menu here.
Tennis Coaching at SSC
Congratulations Louisa
2020 Darling Downs Secondary 70cm Showjumping Champion
Over the holidays, we received the wonderful news that Louisa Christensen was awarded the shield for the 2020 Darling Downs and South West Regional Championships for secondary 70cm showjumping.
This award was presented to Louisa as she was the highest achieving Darling Downs rider in the secondary competition at the 2020 Queensland State Interschool Equestrian Championships. Louisa placed third overall in the highly competitive division.
Congratulations Louisa!
Mrs Bianca Coleborn
Director of Marketing & Enrolments
Free Coffee Vouchers for SSC families
Hopthru Cafe on James Street has provided the College with some FREE coffee vouchers for families of Stephen Street Campus, for use during Week 3 (week commencing 8 February).
If you would like to grab some vouchers for your family, they will be located at SSC Reception. Your student is welcome to collect them from Reception during their breaks.
Many thanks to the staff at Hopthru Cafe for offering this to our College families.