There will be much to look forward to across the coming weeks, with a range of concerts, presentations, sporting events, celebrations and end-of-year activities. I warmly encourage families to join us wherever possible as we celebrate the 2026 achievements and milestones of our students and our community.

Our 2026 theme, Celebrating the Journey Together, has been very fitting. This year has represented a significant chapter in Concordia's history as we have continued our journey as one Prep–Year 12 College on a single campus. Thank you again for your wonderful support, patience and encouragement throughout this journey. It has been a year of change, growth, challenge and opportunity and one that we can rightly celebrate together – well done!

During the term break, I did some reading around parenting and child development and an article by Michael Grose caught my attention as I am constantly looking for quality material to share with our own adult children as they raise and support our grandchildren. The article identified five key competencies that contribute to healthy and effective parenting which the author calls the “Big 5” - showing love and affection, managing stress, building relationships, supporting children’s autonomy and agency as well as managing behaviour.

What I particularly appreciated was the reminder that good parenting is less about having all the answers and more about consistently getting the important things right. Warmth and affection provide a strong foundation. Managing our own stress helps create a calmer environment while healthy relationships model how to communicate and resolve differences. Allowing children increasing independence helps them develop confidence and self-reliance while managing behaviour calls for patience, consistency and clear boundaries – the latter, as we know, is easier said than done.

Perhaps the most encouraging message was that these are competencies that can be developed. None of us gets parenting perfectly right and every child and family is different – something we remind our adult children about all the time! What matters is the willingness to keep learning, to reflect and to make the small, positive choices that build strong relationships over time.

I hope this provides a gentle reminder of the importance of the everyday things we do - love generously, stay connected, remain calm where we can, encourage independence and provide consistent guidance. These simple things can make a big difference in the lives of our children and grandchildren.

As we enter the final eight weeks of the school year, I encourage our community to fully embrace all that Term 4 will bring and to finish 2026 strongly. Remember that our door always remains open as we partner with you on this journey. We value honest and transparent communication and believe that strong relationships between the college and our families are essential to ensuring every student is known, valued and supported to flourish.

I would like to wish all our students, families and staff a safe, positive and rewarding Term 4. I look forward to sharing the many celebrations and milestones that lie ahead with you.

Yours in Christ.

Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College

The Year 9s are now at their long-awaited Googa experience, a real opportunity to grow, to challenge themselves, to reflect on their journey and to become more independent on the road to adulthood. We will celebrate their achievements later in the term. And for the Year 12s, it’s into exams and end-of-year celebrations, after they finished the last term with their formal. There is, of course, also a lot of learning and work to be completed.

Thank you to all who have supported the Walk My Way at the end of last term. So far, we have raised $1138, with Altus coming in first with over half of the total. The website is still able to take donations at https://concordiaqld.walkmyway... if you wish to support refugee girls to attend school.

This term, the Year 9 cohort will engage in a service project at Salem Lutheran Aged Care after their return from Googa. Service learning is an important aspect of our culture at Concordia, as we believe that not only is everyone equally valued by our loving creator, but also that we are placed in this world for a purpose. As we serve others, we can discover our gifts and purpose. Indeed, as we use our gifts for the benefit of the wider world, we become God’s hands and feet on this earth. On this journey, Jesus encourages us: let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16) There appears to be another potential effect as we use our gifts in service of others: God is recognised, acknowledged and praised.

May all we do this term be done to the glory of God.

Have a great Term 4!

Thomas Böhmert
College Pastor

Term 4 is always a busy and exciting time in our College calendar, with lots happening across our classrooms and wider school community. There will be opportunities to celebrate learning, recognise achievements, enjoy special events and, of course, make the most of the final weeks of the school year together.

As we head into the term, we encourage families to take a few moments to look through the Save the Dates section below and add important events to your family calendar. With so much happening, having these dates in your calendar will help everyone stay organised and ensure you don't miss the special moments along the way.

One of the very special events we will look forward to this term is our Christmas for the Bush Chapel Service. This is a wonderful opportunity for our College community to come together in the spirit of giving and to support families and communities in rural and regional areas at Christmas time.

We will begin collecting donations this term, and we encourage families to get involved where they are able. Every donation, big or small, can make a difference and help bring some extra joy to families who may be doing it tough. Please see the information below for details about how you can support Christmas for the Bush.

While Term 4 can feel like it flies by, we encourage our students to continue to approach each day with enthusiasm, kindness and our CLCER values of Compassion, Learning, Courage, Excellence, Respect and Service.

We look forward to a wonderful final term together, celebrating the year that has been and making the most of the opportunities still ahead of us. Let's finish the year With One Heart – Growing Together.

Welcome back, everyone, and here's to a great Term 4!

Click here to view JC's Events for Term 4 2026, Week 2.

Mrs Jackie Minnikin & Mrs Juanetta Priest  
Directors of Junior College

In Term 4, the Junior College is again supporting Care Outreach with their Christmas for the Bush appeal. You can help by donating...

• Non-perishable food and Christmas treats
• Toys and family gifts
• Toiletries
• Pre-paid visa cards

Donation baskets have been placed in every classroom. 100% goes to our farmers! For specific needs, please visit Care Outreach and click on the 'Christmas for the Bush' tab.

Care Outreach are excited to have our support again this year, and we look forward to assisting their Christmas for the Bush campaign. Thank you for considering this worthwhile appeal.

Christmas for the Bush will conclude with a Junior College Chapel Service lead by our Year 1 students in the Chapel on Friday 30 October at 8.30am. Everyone is invited to come along.

Googa occupies an important place within our Mountaintop coming-of-age program. Time away from the routines and comforts of home provides our young people with opportunities to develop greater independence, resilience and personal responsibility. Along the way, they will be challenged to work with others, contribute to their community and discover more about their own strengths. While four weeks may initially feel like a long time, I know this will be an experience that will stay with many of our students well beyond Year 9.

At the other end of the secondary journey, our Year 12 students are very quickly approaching the conclusion of their school days. This week marks their final week of regular classes before they move into an alternative program in Week 2. This will provide opportunities to reflect on their Concordia journey and the relationships and experiences that have shaped their time at the College, before attention turns firmly towards final study and the upcoming external examinations.

We also look forward to celebrating what our Year 12 students have already achieved at next Tuesday evening’s Graduation and Recognition Evening. This special occasion provides an opportunity to recognise the academic and co-curricular achievements of our graduating class, including the presentation of a number of significant awards and the announcement of our 2026 Dux. More importantly, it is an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable milestone in the lives of our young people and to acknowledge the families and staff who have walked alongside them.

As we began the term this week, I shared a devotion with students centred on a simple challenge: finish well.

In Philippians 3:13–14, Paul speaks of “straining toward what is ahead” and pressing on towards the goal. It is an appropriate image for Term 4 because, while we can now see the finish line, we have not reached it yet.

Whatever the year has held, there remains time to learn, to repair a relationship, to encourage someone, to improve a habit, to apologise, to notice somebody who needs support, and to make a difference. Our Christian hope also reminds us that finishing well does not mean finishing perfectly. God meets us in our imperfection, extends grace to us and continues to call us forward.

So, as we enter this final term, the challenge for all of us is perhaps a simpler one: finish faithfully. Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep caring for one another. Keep moving forward and be present in what God has given us today.

Yours in faith,

Mr Jamie Pukallus
Director of Campus