Staffing update
I am delighted to announce that our College Counsellor vacancy has been filled by Ms Jessica Tobin. Ms Tobin has extensive counselling experience working with children and their families. For the past four years Jessica has worked as a Child and Family Case Worker for Intensive Family Support Service, providing support interventions for children and their families. She also has early childhood experience, having worked for Goodstart Early Learning. Ms Tobin holds a ‘Bachelor: Human Service – Child and Family’ and she has a post-graduate degree in social work. We look forward to our new Counsellor joining us on Monday 8 March.

Construction work in Harristown
Members of our community are urged to exercise a special measure of caution and safety in and around both the Warwick Street and Stephen Street campuses over the coming weeks. We have been advised that the Toowoomba Regional Council will be undertaking major works on the corner of South and Burton Streets. Much of the work will be undertaken overnight; however, there will be a need for caution throughout the day as road conditions in this busy school area will change on occasion.

We have also been advised that the Queensland State Government will be erecting a ‘significant’ security fence around the perimeter of Harristown State High School. Again, I would urge members of our community to maintain a strong concern for safety as there will be extended periods where major works will be occurring in and around our educational precinct.

The support from across our community is required as we seek to maintain a safe environment for our students, staff and parents.

Mr Adrian Wiles
Head of College

NAPLAN tests will be conducted in 2021. All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN tests. Concordia Lutheran College will be conducting NAPLAN texts through Online testing.

All students will participate in an online practice test on the morning of 26 March. The NAPLAN formal testing period commences from Monday 10 May until Friday 21 May.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum. Concordia teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and will provide appropriate support and guidance.

Do you know how to teach the Foxtrot or know someone who can? If you are interested in helping, please contact Mrs Samantha Eagleson, Head of Department - The Arts

Lent and Easter
Lent is a time to reflect. We often give our students a gift to help us during this time of reflection. Today our students are being given a wooden cross that has a beautiful story. Each cross has been individually carved from the pruned branches from olive trees around Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. These crosses are designed to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand or pocket. They are a wonderful comfort to us, reminding us that we have the ultimate carer who is there to walk with us each day.

Congratulations to the 38 Concordia students that competed at the Toowoomba Central Swimming Trials at The Glennie School on Wednesday 17 February 2021. This year’s carnival saw a different style of format, with many new restrictions imposed due to Covid-19. 

It was an impressive effort by all our athletes with many achieving new personal best times. While several students missed out by the narrowest of margins, a number of CLC students qualified to represent the Toowoomba Central Zone Team which will now compete at the Darling Downs Regional Swimming Championships on Wednesday 3 March in Gatton. The Concordia team will be supplying a major percentage of swimmers from the Central Zone. Great work to all involved in preparing our swimmers, while also top marks to those students who put in the individual effort in their training.

Tired of the juggle with the morning rush for school?  Are you finding it hard to get the children organised, dropped off to school and then find you are still running late for work?  Consider Before School Care as an option.  

With Before School Care, we drop your children off. We are open from 6.30am each school day morning with a courtesy bus running WSC children to school. Children are welcome to bring along breakfast to enjoy at their own pace before heading to school.  

Before School Care costs only $18 per session and is even cheaper with CCS applied. Let us take the hassle out of your mornings!

Contact us today at oshc@concordia.qld.edu.au to find more information or to make a booking.

For the past three years, Hume Street Kindergarten has worked with Rosies – Friends on the Street gathering donations for children whose families are homeless, or suffer from loneliness.

Did you know that 5.6 million Australians, that is one in four of us, are lonely almost all of the time or on a regular basis? And 66% of people seek friendship as a remedy to loneliness?

Rosies reaches out to those most in need, people who are homeless or at risk, lonely and socially isolated within our communities.

While many organisations are increasingly providing awareness, support, and referral, Rosies focuses on providing friendship and unconditional acceptance during difficult times.

Over 98% of Rosies’ work is funded through kind donations from our local community.

HSC Campus Photos – Monday 22 March
Our Campus Photos are scheduled for Monday 22 March. Could you please ensure your child/ren are in the correct uniform. Students in Prep and Year 1 will wear their sports uniform.  All students from Years 2 to 6 are required to wear their Formal Uniform.

Family Photos
To enable parents to purchase a Family Photo of all or some of their children who attend Concordia Lutheran College, photos of siblings will be taken in the Hume Street Campus Hall between 8am and 8.15am on photo day. 

It will be the parents’ responsibility to get their SSC children to HSC for the family photo and then take them to SSC ready for school before 8.30am. If you would like family photos done could you please collect a family photo envelope from Reception prior to Photo day. 

At HSC, tuckshop is held on a Thursday. All orders are to be completed online at My Student Account by 3pm each Wednesday. Please notify Reception by 9am on Thursday if your child is absent and we will cancel their order. Tuckshop will finish in Week 9.

Thank you so much for continuously supporting our school, especially through fundraising. This term, we are hosting a Colour Explosion School Fun Run.

Start fundraising today.
Did you know? Students raise 3x times more when they fundraise online! Visit myprofilepage.com.au to create your child’s cybersafe fundraising profile. Instructions are in your child’s sponsorship booklet. You have until Friday 23 April to fundraise, so make sure you get cracking!

The big day is coming!
We are so excited to host our Colour Explosion School Fun Run on Tuesday 30 March. On the day, make sure your child brings a white shirt and old shorts for the Fun Run and waterslide! They will be covered in non-toxic, high quality colour powder from head to toe! They will also need a water bottle and their hat. Sunscreen will be provided in the classrooms prior to the event.

As you will see in the Word on the Street, students from Years 1 to 6 have been invited to a Glow Disco on Friday 12 March from 6pm to 7.30pm. While the students are enjoying their time at the disco, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for our parents to spend some time together with a special Wine and Cheese Evening in the Resource Centre. Come and enjoy some time together to chat and hear about all the exciting things happening at WSC this year.

If you would like to attend, please click here for information.

A huge thank you to everyone who has ordered chocolate boxes for our Cadbury Chocolate Drive. We have had a record breaking 110 boxes ordered! These should arrive late next week, and will come home with your children. Let the selling begin!

At WSC, Tuckshop is held on a Wednesday. All orders are to be completed online at My Student Account by 3pm each Tuesday. Please notify Reception by 9am on Wednesday if your child is absent and we will cancel their order. Tuckshop will finish in Week 9.

WSC Campus Photos – Wednesday 17 March
Our Campus Photos are scheduled for Wednesday 17 March. Could you please ensure your child/ren are in the correct uniform. Students in Prep will wear their sports uniform.  All students from Years 1 to 6 are required to wear their Formal Uniform.

Family Photos
To enable parents to purchase a Family Photo of all or some of their children who attend Concordia Lutheran College, photos of siblings will be taken in the Warwick Street Campus Shed between 8am and 8.15am on photo day. 

It will be the parents’ responsibility to get their SSC children to WSC for the family photo and then take them to SSC ready for school before 8.30am. If you would like family photos done could you please collect a family photo envelope from Reception prior to Photo day. 

It is so satisfying to see many of our cocurricular activities up and running for the year: athletics, netball, Kokoda, volleyball, basketball, soccer/futsal, cross country, the Athlete Development Program, A Midsummer Night's Dream rehearsals, Big Band, Concert Band, subject tutorials… and the list goes on! I even stumbled across a group of keen Year 7 students and Mr James Bishop in an F1 in Schools workshop! Thanks to the teachers and coaching staff who are investing their time in building capacity in our students and programs.

Today saw a very early start for our Year 9 students, their parents and some of our staff, as we gathered at 4.45am at Picnic Point for our Rite Journey Calling and Departure Ceremony. This simple gathering is the purposeful commencement of the journey that Year 9 students will be embarking on this year. A program of shared discussions, shared experiences and opportunities for these students to reflect on their capacity to understand each other, understand themselves, to gain a sense that there is something more and to know that they can be contributors to the communities that they find themselves in. 

Don't forget to register for the free Elevate webinars. There are still two remaining for Term 1. Registration is essential and is free for parents of Concordia Lutheran College.

You can register by clicking here.

The webinar is run live online from 6pm to 7pm where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly.

Remaining webinars in this series will focus on the following:

• 10 March - Technology devices and self-regulation strategies.
• 24 March - Note taking skills to help your child deepen their revision.

No Sprint Training in Week 6

Please be aware that there will be NO sprint training during Week 6.

Over the coming weeks, we will introduce our community to one of our sport coaches. This week, meet our netball coach, Erin Webcke.

Name: Erin Webcke 

Role: Netball coach

Playing Background: I have been playing netball for 14 years. I started playing at a club team in Brisbane and when I moved up to Toowoomba, I played club here. I went on to represent Toowoomba and Highfields including State. I played for the Darling Downs School Girls Team for various years and age groups. I was part of the Darling Downs Netball Academy, Queensland School Girls U19 team in Melbourne, Darling Downs Panthers U19 team for two years, Ipswich Jets Ruby team in 2019 and Ipswich Jets U18 team. All through high school, I was also a proud member of the Concordia team!