Dear Parents and Caregivers

Over the past fortnight I have dedicated a fair amount of time, as well as having the privilege, to visit the learning spaces across all three campuses. Firstly, we have incredible students at Concordia as they present for learning settled with minimal fuss and a willingness to learn, ask questions, collaborate and engage in meaningful conversations about what their learning is all about. I am further impressed by the wonderful respect which they bring to their interaction with the adults coaching, facilitating and guiding their learning. Secondly, the consistent commitment, professionalism and mutual respect which both the teaching and non-teaching staff bring to their jobs every day is of the best which I have encountered during my 30 plus years in education. Thirdly, throw in a parent community which is supportive, engaging and loyal and we have a recipe which sees Concordia thriving and going from strength to strength every day. Collectively, we mightn’t get it right every day, but what a formidable team we have become. Thank you!

You may have noticed the recent release of a swathe of census data, which prompted headlines like this: Census 2021 data shows Australians are less religious and more culturally diverse than ever and moved some commentators to predict the imminent demise of religion in Australia. So, when the opportunity came up to attend a webinar offered by the Christian Research Association promising insight into and analysis of trends evident through the latest census release, I jumped at the opportunity.

This new event is a showcase of The Arts highest achieving curriculum performances from the year to date as well as a showcase of the various Dance, Instrumental and Vocal Ensembles we have across the College campuses. It is our way of celebrating and congratulating the great work that students are doing every term in the classroom and activities in The Arts and allowing the College community to enjoy the work of these talented performers. Artworks from across all three campuses will be on display in the Church Theatre for family and friends to enjoy.

Arts in Focus performances are a free, general admission, non-allocated seating event. Please be aware that due to the seating capacity of the Armitage Centre, there are a limited number of tickets available for each session.

The Concordia Lutheran College community is warmly invited to attend a special workshop to review the current Strategic Plan and discuss the redevelopment of the plan towards 2026.

The workshop will take place in the Concordia Function Centre at Stephen Street Campus from 8.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday 20 August 2022. Morning tea will be provided to all participants.

We encourage all members of our community who are interested in developing the strategic intent of the College to attend this workshop and participate in the discussions around our vision, direction and objectives. The current strategic plan is available by clicking here.

Members of the College Leadership team will be on hand to lead sessions and participate in discussions.

If you would like to be a part of this important day, please click here to register your attendance.

This cold snap is making everyone wish for warm sand and sunshine, and we have some great camps and events coming up these Summer Holidays that we’d love you to promote!

Summer Holiday Camps (Years 3 to 11 in 2022)

11–16 December, 2022  |  Blast Summer Camps:
Junior (Years 3-6 in 2022) and Senior (Years 7-11 in 2022) Blast camps provide campers with the ultimate 6-day adventure! High adventure activities, outings, electives and games get kids out of their comfort zone, trying new things, and spending time in the great outdoors. As an evangelism camp, we explore the Christian faith through connect time and guest speakers.

9–13 January, 2023  |   Summer Kids Camp & (NEW) Summer Christian Life Week (CLW)
Kids Camps (Years 3-6 in 2022) and Christian Life Week (Years 7-11 in 2022) Camps are discipleship camps with a strong focus on worship, small group time and growing in faith. The five-day camp has a culture of friendship, connection, engaging conversations, and plenty of beach and adventure activities and games to put a smile on camper’s faces and get their hearts pumping.

Click here for more information.

Commonwealth Census is this coming Friday 5 August. The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the department) would like to advise all parents and guardians that it collects certain information about your child’s school, its staff, and student body during this Census. To learn more about the Census and your privacy, please click here.

The JC Band was lucky enough to go on its very own Christmas in July Bus Tour today, in preparation for their debut performance at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod 2022. How lucky are we?!?! 

The students got right into the festive spirit dressing up for the occasion and a special mention to those who packed extras for the people who may not have had some. What a beautiful culture to see! 

The JC Band performed very well at both locations and I have no doubt they will do the same on the Empire Theatre Stage next Monday, 1 August. It was clear that the audience enjoyed themselves as they clapped along and when asked who wanted to join the band afterwards, there were more hands in the air opting in than not! 

A reminder to check SeeSaw for the update on what students did in their lessons each week and the practice goals set. This enables the students who are away to catch up or work to meet the goals of the other students without falling behind. It also enables you to check-in and ask, “hey, could you play me that song?” and leaves the students wondering how you know all the amazing information of what is going on in their music classes! 

Remember, if you have any questions or need extra support, please contact christina.marangelli@concordia.qld.edu.au.

Students at the Junior College are blessed with many talents. We have some incredible sportspeople in our midst, as well as talented musicians and artists. Over the next few weeks, our students will be able to showcase these talents as they participate in the many events that are happening, such as QCIS and Central Zone Athletics, Eisteddfod and our Arts in Focus weekend. 

On Monday our JC Band performed for the students at both Junior College campuses for their Christmas in July Tour. Under the expert tutelage of Ms Christina Marangelli, our band performed two of the pieces they will be showcasing at next week’s Eisteddfod. We wish the band members all the best for next week and look forward to hearing about their performance. 

The Junior College Year 6 teachers will be holding an information session to answer any questions you may have about the Year 6 Cairns Trip. All parents and Year 6 students are most welcome and are encouraged to attend.

This Parent Information Session will be held Tuesday 2 August (Week 4, Term 3) at 5.30pm-6.30pm. 

Please note the venue for this meeting has now changed to the Lecture Theatre at Stephen Street Campus. 

Please click here to register your attendance.

On Friday 12 August, the JC Year 1 students will be attending an excursion to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (LPKS). 

• Students are required to be dropped at the Hume Street Campus by 7.15am for a 7.30am departure.
• Students will return to their campus for a normal school pick up.

Parent Permission Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Friday 5 August.
*  Login to Parent Lounge >
*  Click on Events and Payments > 
*  Click on - JC 2022 Year 1 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Excursion >
*  Accept >
*  Save  
Important Note: Please check and ensure your child's medical and emergency contact details are up to date. If you have any questions regarding this excursion, please contact your child's teacher.

On Thursday 18 August 2022, our JC Year 3 students will be attending their first camp at the Koojarewon Youth Camp. Please find attached a Parent Information letter including the program and packing list. 

• All students are to be dropped at Hume Street Campus by 8.30am. Children will be supervised by a teacher from 8am.
• Students will depart Koojarewon Youth Camp at 1.30pm and returning to Hume Street Campus for pick up by parents from approx.2.15pm.
• Parking for both drop off and pick up is on the sports oval. 

Permissions Required
Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission for the Camp:  
•  Login to Parent Lounge >  
•  click on Events & Payments >  
•  click on Event > JC Year 3 Koojarewon Camp
•  Accept >  
•  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, Medical Conditions and Food Allergies/Dietary Requirements.   Should you any further queries regarding this camp, please contact your child’s teacher.

On Friday 5 August, the Year 3 students from both Junior College campuses will be joining together for some learning and getting to know you time. Linking to our HASS unit, the students will get to meet and hear some valuable history about Concordia Lutheran College from our very own living historians! Given that our first camp is also approaching, this activity day will also provide a great opportunity to Year 3 students to make some connections with students from both campuses, and explore Hume Street Campus.

Our living historian guests will be:

• Mrs Lynette Stedman – former student of Concordia Memorial College 1940s – 1950s
• Mrs Dulcie Clifton - former student of Concordia Memorial College 1940s – 1950s
• Mrs Julie Gould – former student and director of WSC
• Mrs Sharon Burger – original teacher from Martin Luther Primary School

Students will be involved in the following activities:

• HSC Chapel at 10.15am
• Morning tea and lunch breaks together at HSC
• Living Historian Talk
• Activity time in the Forest Area and HSC Year 3 classroom

WSC students will travel to and from HSC on the College bus. Pick up is approximately 10am and WSC students will return for normal pick up time.

Students will be required to wear their Sports Uniform and bring their lunch and water bottle.

We look forward to this event and for our upcoming camp at Koojarewon. 

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.

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.

One of the great pleasures of my job is meeting new families and taking them on tours of Stephen Street Campus. Not only is this a great opportunity to talk with the family and hear their story, it is also a great reminder of everything we should be thankful for within our college. Despite being totally different families, it is amazing how often I hear the same descriptions of visiting Concordia. Words like “serenity”, "friendly” and “amazing” are commonly used by the families at the end of the tour. On Thursday, one of our 2023 enrolments said that it felt “homely”. What a great testimony to the calibre of students and staff we have at our beautiful College!    

Student Futures Expo
I would like to thanks Mrs Leah Bowes and Mrs Jo-Ann Tessmer for their organisation of the student futures expo, held in the Function Centre on Thursday. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet and ask questions of staff from various universities and training providers, as well as Emergency Services and Defence Recruitment. I often remind our students that they are so blessed to live in a time where such a vast array of opporunites exist for their future pathways. I trust this was a valuable experience for students and their families in continuing to investigate possibilities beyond life at school.

The students in the SSC Concert Band and Big Band participated in rehearsals, sectionals, night activities and meals together for the annual Band Sleep Out on Friday night, 22 July. This is a legacy that Mr Paul Edwards started and asked me to continue and what a blast it was! We were able to invite specialist tutors in and have some extended time to focus on our music for the upcoming Eisteddfod (31 July and 1 August, Empire Theatre, 6pm) and refine some fun ‘bangers’ for the upcoming Arts in Focus event (13 August, Empire Theatre 2.30pm).

Hello to all our families!

This week has been very busy preparing for our Japanese students who arrive on Saturday. Our students are very excited about having roommates for a few days. What a culturally enriched opportunity this will be for our students.

We have five boarders attending QCIS at Downlands College on Monday. I am sure they will do themselves and Concordia proud.