As part of my The Week Ahead section, I will be looking at sharing with you some of the latest educational research, professional readings and parenting tips which underpin some of the significant changes which are taking place within the current educational landscape.

During last week, a parent spoke to me about growing a resilient child [mindset and habits] which promote resiliency and so I thought I would share with you this week some thoughts from Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of the Stress Solution, about this topic.

While we may not be able to remove all the challenges facing our children, we can help them build resilience – the ability to overcome difficult experiences and be shaped positively by them. Our brains respond to the information around us, so resilience can be taught, modelled and nurtured. Some tips from Dr Chatterjee include:

• Have one-on-one time with each child, without distraction. Resilience comes from relationships. It’s quality and not quantity that count. Ten minutes of fully focused attention is better than an hour when your mind is on other things and devices. Make bath times, car journeys, meals and queues count. Once these one-to-ones become regular, your children will know that they have a safe space to open up.
• Give sleep a chance. Lack of sleep is a huge driver for stress: it has a negative effect on memory, concentration, cognitive function and decision-making. One of the fastest ways to improve sleep is to limit screen time before bed. Using night-time mode on devices, swaps the blue light with a warmer glow.
• Get out and exercise. As well as keeping them fit, exercise will increase children’s resilience because it actually strengthens the brain too. Regular physical activity teaches our stress-response system to recover more efficiently.
• Teach delayed gratification. Resilience means you can’t always have what you want when you want it. Psychology teaches us that people who can accept delayed gratification lead happier and healthier lives. One of the best ways to teach it is playing board games as this requires impulse control, turn-taking and mental flexibility. It’s also a good way to model being a good loser.
• Eat the alphabet. Nutrition has a significant impact on mental health. A great family challenge is to “eat the alphabet” over 30 days: A for apples, B for Banana and so on.
• Model gratitude. Instead of asking your children, “How was school?” or “What did you do today?”, replace it with “ What did someone do to make you happy? What did you do to make someone happy today? What was good about today? Or what have you learned today?” It teaches gratitude, nurtures optimism and recognises kindness.

Please don’t hesitate to share with me or the College any useful resources, strategies or tips which you may have used in this space and can be shared with our College community.

Thank you for the conversations which continue to happen, the warm greetings and the mutual checking-in to see how we are travelling as an individual and as a learning community. Thank you too for your ongoing support and patience with us, as a College, as we navigate the changing landscape, and subsequent updates, which COVID-19 continue to present.

Thank you to those parents who have already taken up the offer of an open-door policy to my office, as together we grown and strengthen our working partnership to benefit the outcomes for every student in our care.

Take care and travel safely.

Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College

Quote of the Week: And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more. [E. Jong]

As I had grown up in the Lutheran church in Germany, one of the connections I made in Christchurch was the local Lutheran church. I was welcomed very warmly and their pastor invited me to join a bible study called Divine Drama, which gave an in depth exploration of the biblical story. It was for this study that I purchased this bible. And it’s interesting what happens once you engage deeper with the word of God. Some four years later I ended up in Seminary in Adelaide, studying to became a pastor. This had definitely not been a part of my plan for life at that time. But looking back now after more than 25 years of ministry all over Australia, I feel incredibly blessed to have received that call into ministry and be able to share the Good News of Christ and my life with so many people in different places.

On Tuesday last week, the Year 7 and Year 8 students were visited by a small group from the Gideons. It is an organisation of businesspeople, volunteering to place the scriptures in the hands of people. You may have encountered the bibles they place in motels and hospitals. The Gideons have some amazing stories to share of people touched through these bibles and they are passionate about making the Word of God freely available. They offered a free pocket sized copy of the New Testament (with Psalms and Proverbs) to the students, encouraging them to explore these stories. As we learn about the story of God with the people of this world through Christian Studies, and as students have their own little New Testament, may they be able to draw hope and strength from God’s promises. By the way, I still use the bible I bought all these years ago in NZ.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Have a great week.

Pastor Thomas
College Pastor

Parent Participation and Cost We will require parent volunteers to help supervise a small group of children for the day. You will need to organise your own transport to and from the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The cost for parents will be $37.80 and this is payable on entry at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. *To be eligible to participate in this excursion, parents must have completed Concordia Lutheran College’s Volunteer Compliance Requirements by the date of the excursion.

Please contact your Campus Reception if you would like to help on the excursion.

Dress Code: Students will be required to wear the College Sports Uniform and College Hat.

What to Bring: Students are required to bring their Morning Tea, Lunch and Water Bottle, which should be kept in a small backpack they are able to carry for the day.

Parental Permission Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Friday 6 August 2021:

• Login to Parent Lounge >
• click on Events & Payments >
• click on JC 2021 Year 1 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Excursion >
• 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.

Should you require any further information, please contact your child’s teacher/s.

Drop Off and Pick Up from HSC: We ask that parents drop their child at the Hume Street Campus (HSC) by 8.30am. The bus will be departing from HSC by 9am. The students will depart the Koojarewon Youth Camp at 1.30pm and should arrive at HSC at approximately 2.15pm. Students can be picked up anytime after this. Parking for both the drop off and pick up will be on the sports oval. Please check in via the Check in Qld app which will be on the gates as you go through the gates.

Permissions Required Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission for both the Camp and Excursion:

• Login to Parent Lounge > • click on Events & Payments > • click on Event > • 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.

We are planning to run this on Tuesday nights, term time, starting in Week 8, 24 August, 6.30pm-8.30pm, and finishing on Sunday 21 November with a special celebration. Students of Year 7 age or older and their parents are welcome.

The plan is to start with a meal, and then run an Alpha course for parents in one location on College grounds (Stephen Street Campus) parallel to the Youth Alpha series for students in another room.

If you are interested, please talk to Pastor Thomas or email by Friday 13 August. For those interested in confirmation, this would be the first step of that journey.

More details to come. Looking forward to hearing from you.

God bless,

Pastor Thomas

QSS Basketball Championships that were postponed on 5-8 August, have now been cancelled for 2021. I would like to congratulate Charlie Pietsch and Patrick Malone on making the DD team this year.

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QSS Track and Field Championships have been cancelled for 2021. Click here for further information.

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Term 3 Training Schedule

Tokyo Olympics
As the Tokyo Olympics come to an end (don't forget the Paralympics opening ceremony on 24 August), it's time to look back at the top Australian moments after an incredibly successful Games for our athletes in green and gold. Didn't we have some performances to be proud of? A new generation of athletes broke through to lead the way while some of our most popular athletes finally took home a medal. It's a credit to how well Australia performed at the Games, that it was almost impossible to pick only a few moments. Here are my top four:

1. Patrick Tiernan's display of determination
   To start the Athletics calendar for Australia, Patrick Tiernan dragged himself across the line in the Men's 10,000m final. It was a moment of pure spirit. An Aussie athlete who gave his all and was out on his feet. But he was determined to finish and eventually crossed the line. He had to be taken from the track in a wheelchair but the legacy he created in that moment is one that won't be forgotten.
2. Peter Bol - Australia's new favourite
   The 27-year-old 800m runner who inspired a nation. When Bol broke the Australian Record in his heat to book his place in the semi-final he caught our attention. Then he went on to win his semi-final in a new Australian record and the whole nation was on it's feet. Here was this incredible Australian dominating on the world stage.
3. Ash Moloney and Cedric Dubler's shared decathlon triumph
   Australia had never won a medal in the Men's decathlon before Ash Moloney won bronze in Tokyo. It was a determined effort from the 21-year-old who kept setting personal bests and had to set an Australian record to lock up third place. But the moment that sticks in everyone's mind was the effort of his Australian teammate Cedric Dubler in the 1500m. Moloney went into the race, the last event of the decathlon, in third place with his lead slowly dwindling. With American Garrett Scantling and Canada's Pierce LePage hunting him down, he needed to finish within seven seconds of Scantling to ensure the medal. Halfway through the race, it looked like Scantling was going to steal the medal from the Aussie's grasp. However, Dubler ran alongside Moloney and started yelling at him and motivating him to give it his all. The experienced Dubler was keeping track of what Moloney needed to do and he was well behind the pace. It inspired Moloney to take it up a few gears and power home. As he crossed the finish line, in the background you could see Dubler pumping his fist in the air, knowing his teammate had secured a medal. An incredibly special moment.
4. Patty Mills and the Boomers finally get their medal
   After losing to Spain by a point in a dramatic bronze medal match in Rio, it almost seemed destined that the Boomers would never claim an Olympic medal. This golden generation of basketballers had come close on four occasions only to finish 4th each time. In Tokyo, the Boomers breezed through the group stages and comfortably accounted for Argentina in the quarterfinals. It set up a date with destiny. The USA in the semifinals. Could this be the moment the Aussies assured themselves of a medal. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be as Kevin Durant led his troops to a dominant win over the Aussies after we got close. It meant our hopes were left to the bronze medal match again. Standing in our way this time was the prodigious Luka Doncic who had led Slovenia to the semifinals in their Olympic debut. Australia wouldn't be denied their medal this time though. An incredible 42-points from the inspirational Patty Mills delivered the Boomers bronze. Their first Olympic medal. It was a special moment for a team that all of Australia has been behind for years. It was a long time coming, but boy, was it worth the wait!

Mrs Jana Anderson
SSC Sports Coordinator

Wow, Week 5 - middle of the term, count down for Mock Exams for Year 11 and Year 12. Mrs Bowen and Mr Rudd invited all Years 11 and 12 students to the Library on Monday to gain their input and start the conversation to see how they can best be supported moving forward in making their learning requirements transparent.

This is an ongoing collaborative effort between school and boarding. Students were vocal and listened intently. Feedback from students was that it was really positive.

Students, although not openly admitting it, do like expectations. Be it their own or that of a team. In a boarding environment students succeeding to meet academic expectations are learning so much more without noticing it. They grow in confidence, develop good communications skills, develop greater motivation, develop resilience and experience success.

Many club sports and after school activities were reinstated this week which has made many students and staff happy. Great to let off some steam after being restricted for the past couple of weeks. It's been great for them all.

Stay well and travel safe.

We hope you enjoy the pics this week.

Mrs Maureen Taurima
Girls' Houseparent