The Week Ahead - Term 3, Week 3
Monday July 26 to Friday 30 July 2021
From the Head of College
The students must be congratulated on how well and quickly they have settled back into school routines and school life. Thank you for your part in supporting and encouraging the students on this journey. It has also been very affirming to see, first-hand, how the student body has reached out to support those students who are new to Concordia this term.
I would also like to welcome our new families to Concordia. We are so excited to have you join the Concordia family and look forward to forging a strong and transparent working relationship with you as together we work to achieve the very best outcomes for your student.
Congratulations and well done to those students who have recently achieved personal milestones and goals, overcome physical challenges, or excelled in various sports codes. Some of these achievements include the recently held Kokoda Challenge, swimming results and rankings, weightlifting and equestrian riding but to name a few.
It’s great to see our Concordia students achieving great results across so many areas. Congratulations parents and families as you support your student on their respective journey. Thank you too, to those staff members who have supported and continue to support and encourage these students across these many disciplines.
Parent, Student and Staff Meeting Arrangements
Building quality working relationships and working closely with every student and family at Concordia Lutheran College are essential processes which are underpinned by an approach of consistent, regular and transparent conversations and meetings. As we continue to fine-tune these working arrangements, to make them consistent across all three campuses, I am writing to let you know about some minor adjustments and inclusions which will be built into this process moving forward:
- Should any family or staff member request a meeting with the other, both parties will be asked to provide agenda items for this purpose. This will allow for the easy flow of meetings as well as allowing all parties to come prepared to the meeting.
- The College will also provide each family with a list of the attendees attending the meeting.
- Minutes will be taken at the meeting and distributed, with any resulting action items, to all attendees afterwards. Once the minutes are approved by all parties, they will be accepted as presented.
- A follow-up meeting will be agreed to if required.
We hope that this transparent and fluid process will make the whole process of meeting more time efficient and user friendly. Your feedback in fine-tuning this process is also encouraged.
Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College
From the College Pastor
Armoured!
Last week I was privileged to get the second COVID-19 vaccination, so I am now immunised against the nasty virus, or at least against its worst effects – according to the scientists. It doesn’t change life much, unlike in some European countries or the US where vaccinated people are afforded privileges in terms of travel and assembly.
When our daughter travelled to South America in 2019 to participate in a YWAM course and mission trip, she needed to have certain vaccinations, including one for yellow fever. In fact, without certification of this vaccination she would have not been allowed to return to Australia.
Community News
Barefoot Bowls - Parent Connect Event
All Concordia families are warmly invited to participate in the Parent Connect Barefoot Bowls event taking place on Sunday 8 August from 2pm to 6pm at South Toowoomba Bowls Club.
The cost for adults is $25 and children under 12 are $10. The cost includes nibblies, a meal and club membership (required to play).
To confirm your attendance, please use the links on this invitation.
This should be a very enjoyable event for the College community. We hope you can join us for an afternoon of fun and friendly competition!
Drones, Robotics & AI Program
Community Invitation
HSC Parent Connect Honey Fundraiser
Project Based Learning at Concordia
Junior College
Koojarewon Pre Visit - Year 3
We are very conscious that our Year 3 students have another ‘first’ in Term 3… it is their first school overnight camping experience.
While this is a little stressful for some students, it is majorly stressful for many parents. To assist both students and parents in this ‘first’, Koojarewon offer an opportunity for an optional pre-visit. This is a great opportunity for you to come out to the camp grounds and check out all of the facilities including the dorms, kitchen and dining hall and the overall camp environment. Camp staff will be there to field any questions from students and parents. The Year 3 teachers will also be there too.
If you are feeling a little unsettled about the upcoming camp, or would just like to come and check it out, feel free to come along on Monday 26 July between 3.30pm to 5pm. Address for Google Maps: Koojarewon Youth Camp, Borghardt Road Highfields.
Year 6 Parent Cairns Information Session - 3 August
We will be hosting an information session for our Year 6 Parents so that you can learn all about our Year 6 Trip to Cairns. We will be completing an induction for the Parent Helpers that are going on camp. The details of this meeting will be …
Place: Year 6 classroom, WSC
Time: 5.30pm - 6.30pm
For COVID-19 purposes, please register your attendance here.
Parent Connect Facebook Groups
This week we started Parent Connect Facebook Groups for WSC and HSC. These are online spaces where members of our College community can introduce themselves, find out about parent events taking place and, as the name suggests, connect with each other.
We’re inviting you to be a part of this community building initiative for your Junior College campus.
To join the group, you must have liked the Concordia Lutheran College (Official) page. The page can look different depending on whether you are accessing the Facebook page via desktop, tablet or smartphone. Look to the menu on the Concordia page and find the Groups option (note: on Desktop, it may be hidden under the More tab).
When you find the Groups menu option, you will be directed to a page that has Concordia’s linked Facebook groups. Click on the WSC or HSC Parent Connect group and it will take you to that group. You will be required to answer a couple of easy questions to ensure you are a member of the WSC or HSC community.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Outside School Hours Care
Stephen Street Campus
News from the Director
It's Friday and it's raining.
We developed a little tradition in our family that, whenever it rains, we simply say, “Thanks God for the rain.” Having grown up on the land, rain was everything. Water in tanks, feed for stock and hope for the future. On the flip side, it also meant repairs to fences at creek crossings and, being a dairy farm, it meant a less than pleasant working environment.
The recent extension to this way of expressing gratitude for the blessing in our lives, we also have started the slightly stranger tradition of saying “Thanks God for the drought.” For us, this is a way of acknowledging God’s presence with us even through the toughest, driest times in life where we need to draw deeper on the provision of God to get us through.
Parent Information Evening
Kokoda Challenge
We are so proud of our staff and students who completed the gruelling 96km Kokoda Challenge over the weekend! You can all be so proud of your efforts and in the way that you supported each other. A huge thank you to the parents and friends in the support team who were there at every pit stop – it was very much appreciated.
Lost Property
Lost property continues to grow by the day. Sadly, a considerable number of items are not labelled and it becomes impossible to reunite them with their rightful owners. Unnamed items include brand new school shoes, near new belts, multiple formal hats and sports caps and a brand-new complete tracksuit.
Please clearly mark ALL your children’s clothing and property – this will greatly assist in the item finding its way back. Please remind your child to come to Student Services and look through lost property when they have lost an item. Sometimes it can take a couple of days to make it there, so please continue to check.
Mrs Karen Watson
Student Services Coordinator
Concordia Archibald Prize 2021
This year to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Concordia, we are hosting our own Portrait Art Competition. Just like the real Archibald prize held at the Art Gallery of NSW, which turns 100 this year, we are celebrating with a Concordia portrait prize.
The Concordia Archibald portrait prize requires students to create a painting or drawing in A4 size of anyone from Concordia. It might be your best friend, a peer, a teacher, a Pastor or a Principal. All students are encouraged to submit an entry, due Week 5. Click here for further information or see the Arts Department.
2021 Futures Expo
Thursday 29 July 5.30pm – 6.30pm marks the return of the College’s annual Futures Expo. Due to the COVID restrictions in 2020 the Futures Expo was moved online, but we are pleased to announce that in 2021 we are back face to face in the Concordia Function Centre.
Exhibitors attending include Defence Force Recruiting, USQ, Tafe, Aurora Training Institute, Golden West Apprenticeships, Australian Lutheran College, MEGT, Southern Cross University, Busy at Work, UQ Skills, Akadia Training and attending via Zoom will be the University of Queensland.
Years 11 and 12 Students Connect with Year 7 in Sport and Recreation
Throughout Years 11 and 12 Sport and Recreation, students have been coaching and training Year 7 students, as part of their assessment and also to create a connection between Year 12 and Year 7.
The subject of Sport and Recreation focuses on the role of sport and recreation in the lives of individuals and communities. It is a subject that provides students with opportunities to learn in, through and about sport and active recreation activities.
Concordia’s Dazzling New Murals
Last term, the Student Council decided to hold another Mural Competition, after the success of the previous event. The winners of the competition produced some stunning artistic pieces.
We would like to congratulate the following winning artists:
1 x 2 metre Mural Winners
1st: Emily Loughlin with her mural ‘Concordia Pride’ – a celebration of the Concordian Family featuring the College mascot lion. The caption ‘Concordia Pride’ is a play on words representing both pride in our school and the sense of family that comes with lions living in prides. It is essentially about recognising our sports teams and other extra-curricular groups, but most importantly, promoting the Concordia spirit.
Runner up: Claire Welsh with her mural ‘What is Concordia?’ – reflection of what makes Concordia what it is. her mural contains a collection of words that she thinks best represent our school community.
3 x 1 metre Mural Winner
1st: Tyla Parker with her mural ‘Christ at the Centre’ – representing our diversity and inclusivity with Christ at the centre of all that we do.
The mural winners have certainly represented the College with pride with these great murals. After such a successful competition this year, we hope this competition will be held again in the future.
Lucas MacLeod
Student Council - Media Master
Sport News
Cross Country State Championships
Congratulations to Timothy Noll finishing 17th and Chloe Denning finishing 24th in the individual events. Special mention to Chloe and her Darling Downs team for finishing second in the team event this year.
Commit to be Fit
This sessions is held on Wednesdays 3.30pm to 4.30pm. Find your 30 at Commit to be Fit this Wednesday afternoon!
Training schedule
2021 Olympic Athletes
With the Olympic Games opening ceremony tonight, you may wish to hear more about our Australian athletes by listening to this great podcast: Podcasts - Olympics Unleashed... | Australian Olympic Committee
Boarding
Boarding News
Hello to you all! Our improved Learning in Residence program has been implemented this week with students' needs and strengths being addressed by Mr Pat Rudd in consultation with teachers. Mr Rudd will be working very closely with our very experienced tutors to ensure that the support is readily available for your child to complete tasks and assessments in the required timelines. Our team of tutors is here to support students, therefore it is important that we encourage all students to be respectful when interacting with them.
