The Week Ahead - Term 4, Week 3
Monday 17 October to Friday 21 October 2022
From the Head of College
Dear Parents and Caregivers
The end of Week 2 has brought us to the end of what has been a big week for our Year 12 graduates and their families. This past Monday saw us acknowledging and celebrating these wonderful young adults, in front of their family and friends, at the Year 12 Valedictory and Recognition Service. Today, they were magnificent hosts, for the Years 7 to 11 students, parents and staff, as they led their final Chapel service at Concordia.
This group of Year 12 students have been outstanding in leading and setting a very settled tone which has permeated throughout the whole College. We pray that God will bless, guide and keep these young adults safe as they begin to prepare for their final exams as well as their respective journeys of either further studies or work beyond school. Our blessings and prayers go with their parents too and I would like to personally thank you for your partnership with the College over the years. God bless!
From the College Pastor
Celebration and challenge
After the wonderful Valedictory Service and awards ceremony at USQ on Monday farewelling our Year 12 cohort and celebrating their achievements and input in our community over the years, I flew to Adelaide to attend the General Pastor’s Conference of the LCA in the beautiful Barossa Valley. This conference was in preparation for the much delayed face to face part of the 2021 LCA General Synod which, God willing, finally will take place next February. It is just one of the many events affected by the pandemic.
It is always a great occasion to meet old friends and renew connections as Lutheran pastors from across Australia and New Zealand gather to discuss and work through important issues for the church. We serve in a wide variety of contexts, from small rural congregations, to indigenous communities to large urban churches, in aged care and schools and many other places.
Community News
Sports Breakfast
Ensemble Showcase - Progress and Potential
We warmly invite parents to attend this special concert in the Concordia Chapel. This concert is a public performance which will display the hard work that the Year 5 cohorts have put into learning their new skill - playing an instrument. There will be some fun pieces you are familiar with, mixed with some music specifically written to focus on instrument techniques. The concert will demonstrate the students’ ability to work as an ensemble, follow direction from a conductor and perform publicly on their instrument.
WSC Trivia Night - Friday 4 November
One of the highlights on the Warwick Street Campus calendar each year is the P&F Trivia Night. Each year we have seen this event grow in numbers as our community comes together for a night of fun, laughter and friendly competition. I encourage everyone in our community to come along to enjoy the fun. Family and friends from outside our community are also most welcome to attend.
HSC Parent Connect Mango Fundraiser
Lecture Theatre Official Opening
The refurbishment of the Lecture Theatre at Stephen Street Campus has been finalised with a special Official Opening ceremony taking place on Wednesday night.
All 84 seats in the Lecture Theatre were sponsored by generous members of the community who donated $500 per seat to make the refurbishment a reality.
The below video shows what the Lecture Theatre looked like before, during and after the refurbishment.
Congratulations to everyone who was involved with this project, particularly Mr Tyrone Lanagan who coordinated not only the refurbishment but also the Official Opening catering on Wednesday night. Many thanks also to Mr Adrian Wiles, Mr Anton Prinsloo, Mr Lindsay Bovill, Mr Kyal Osborne and Mrs Rett Cullinan for their important roles in this project.
The Lecture Theatre is now used frequently by students and staff members and has been a wonderful outcome for our College community.
Mrs Bianca Coleborn
Director of Marketing and Enrolments
Project Based Learning at Concordia
Junior College
From the Junior College Directors
Concordia Junior College is blessed to have a talented group of staff, teaching and non-teaching, who work tirelessly every day to support our students. Some of these staff members have been a part of our community for many years and have worked across both Junior College Campuses. Mrs Marie Smith is one of these valued staff members.
Dress Like a Farmer Day - 19 October
Prep to Year 2 Piano Fingers Author Visit
The Prep to Year 2 students will be going on an excursion to The Lighthouse Toowoomba to view the Caroline Magerl’s Piano Fingers Exhibition.
The author we are going to see is Carolyn Magerl, who is the author and illustrator of the 2021 CBCA Honour Book, Nop, which we have in both of our library collections and Hasel and Rose. Her latest book Piano Fingers is currently on order and we will have a copy at each campus by the beginning of next term. In the weeks leading up to the event, I will be sharing Nop and Piano Fingers with the students to familiarise them with her writing. Her stories have themes of friendship and resilience and her illustrations are beautiful.
Caroline Magerl was born in a small German town near Frankfurt and came to Australia when she was two years old. Soon after, in a suburban Sydney backyard, her parents built a yacht which became a home and way of life. Until Caroline was 14, the family sailed the east coast of Australia. At 16, Caroline joined another yacht, crossing the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. After the return voyage she worked as a cook, painting in her spare time. Caroline now works as an artist, illustrator and printmaker and received an ASA children's picture book illustrators' grant to work on Hasel and Rose. She has exhibited widely overseas and in Australia.
The author visits for Caroline Magerl’s Piano Fingers Exhibition have been booked in and are as follows.
Tuesday 18 October – HSC Prep to Year 2
Thursday 20 October – WSC Prep to Year 2
Time – 9am to 10am
Venue – The Lighthouse Toowoomba – 126 Margaret Street
Parent Permission Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Thursday 13 October.
Library News
In the past week, the students will have all received the final Scholastic Book Club brochure for 2022. Remember when you are placing orders online you can nominate that the purchase is a Gift and I will keep aside the order and contact you directly to collect it from the office to keep it a secret from your children. There are some great books and packs that make ideal Christmas gifts. The last day for ordering is Friday 21 October.
Finally as the end of the year is fast approaching, I would like to ask for your assistance in ensuring that your children are returning all of their Library Books and Home Reader loans regularly. There will be no borrowing over the Christmas school holidays so it is very important to begin returning all overdue books as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued help with reminding your children the importance of keeping their loans up to date. I am very impressed with the minimal amount of long term overdue books. Any outstanding books will be added to family accounts at the end of the term.
Mrs Karen Maben
Junior Campus Library Coordinator
JC Year 5 St Helena Island Excursion - **Change of Date** Thursday 27 October
As part of our Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum, we have organised an excursion for Thursday 27 October, to St Helena Island for our Year 5 students to develop their knowledge and understanding of prison life experiences. Please click on the parent letter for more information. Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Monday 17 October 2022
- Login to Parent Lounge >
- Click on Events & Payments >
- Click on - JC 2022 Year 5 St Helena Island Excursion >
- Accept >
- Save
Important Note: Please check and ensure your child's medical conditions and Emergency Contact Information is up to date.
JC Christmas for the Bush
Care Outreach has been supporting Outback families for over 25 years. Many rural and remote families are in their 10th year of drought. These families need us more than ever this Christmas.
In Term 4, the Junior College will be 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 will be placed in every classroom. 100% goes to our farmers! For other specific needs, please visit Care Outreach and click on the 'Christmas for the Bush' tab.
Christmas for the Bush will conclude with a Junior College Chapel Service in the SSC Chapel on Friday 28 October at 9.30am.
Outside School Hours Care
OSHC Kids Cooking Club with Bec Turner
Hume Street Campus
HSC Musical - Change of Date - 24 November 2022
HSC Tuckshop Orders
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.
HSC Prep to Year 6 Swimming Lessons - updated spreadsheet
On Friday 7 October, students from Prep to Year 6 will commence their swimming lessons at the Concordia Aquatic Centre. Each of these classes will participate in eight lessons over Term 4. Please click here for the schedule.
Please ensure that students have the following:
- Dressing gown - this is great for the students to wear to and from the pool as we don't know what the weather is going to be like;
- Thongs
- Swimming togs - it would be great for our Prep students to wear their togs to school
- Goggles
- House swimming cap
- Towel
To avoid any lost items, please clearly label all of your child's items including their shoes, underwear and uniform.
Warwick Street Campus
Grandparents’ Day Invitation - Friday 21 October
Grandparents’ Day Catering - Friday 21 October 2022
We would love your help on Grandparents' Day to either provide a plate of food for morning tea and/or help set up and serve.
Click here to register your interest.
Please find below the list of food suggestions for each year level to bring for children and grandparents to share for morning tea:
Prep – Fruit Platter
Year 1 – Biscuits/Slices/Cakes
Year 2 - Sandwiches
Year 3 – Biscuits/Slices/Cakes
Year 4 – Savoury
Year 5 – Savoury
Year 6 – Sandwiches
Please be aware of the ‘No Nut’ policy when baking or purchasing your food items. We ask if you could please use disposable plates and containers to make it easier with clean up. Could we please have all plates of food delivered by 8.30am on Friday 21 October? Plates can be taken directly to the Resource Centre unless it needs to be refrigerated in The Shed fridge or handed in at Reception.
WSC Musical - 22 November 2022
WSC Tuckshop Orders
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 7.
WSC Prep to Year 6 Swimming Lessons - Term 4
Our Prep to Year 6 students have commence their swimming lessons at the Concordia Aquatic Centre. Each of these classes will participate in lessons over Term 4.
Stephen Street Campus
From the Director of Campus
This week marked the final week for our Year 12s as one cohort. From today they start their SWOTVAC period in readiness for externals exams in Week 4. It has truly been a week of mixed emotions – starting with a special night on Monday at the Recognition and Valedictory Evening where we acknowledged the achievements of the group and individual Year 12 students who have done so well this year.
State Level Music Representation
Concordia had a number of students represent the College in the Queensland Conservatoriums State Honours Ensemble Program, Queensland in the final weekend of the September holidays. The students had a fabulous four days representing Concordia, which culminated in the concert at the Conservatorium.
This program is an educational program for music students that helps extend and encourage their pursuit of musical excellence. Students need to be nominated from their school to apply before they are then selected from a list of criteria.
Congratulations to the following students: Lily Pietsch (Trombone), Meg Simpson (Voice).
Visit The Edge Cafe!
Start your week off on the right foot with a coffee or hot chocolate from The Edge Café, freshly prepared by our Year 10 Hospitality students.
The Café is open 8am – 9.15am every Monday this term. All beverages are one size and a bargain $3 each (Soy + 50c). Payment via MSA or EFTPOS, no cash.
Students, parents and staff are invited to pop in and have a coffee take away or stay and chat while Kochie catches you up with the latest news on Sunrise.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming Elevate Webinar
How to Help Your Child Manage Their Time
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education will be hosting a free webinar for our parents on Wednesday 26 October.
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school:
Wednesday 26 October, 6.30pm
How to Help Your Child Manage Their Time
In this webinar Elevate will be showing parents how to:
✅ Align family expectations on homework
✅ Work with your child on managing other activities such as your child's hobbies or sports
✅ Create the best weekly planner tool for your child
Sport News
Queensland Schools Track and Field
As members of the Darling Downs Track & Field team, Coach John Mathews, Chloe Denning and Alex Roberts attended the Queensland Track and Field titles in Brisbane today.
Alex competed in the Triple Jump. Although missing the final, he accomplished a personal best of 11.20m.
Chloe ran brilliantly in both the 3000m and 800m events, narrowly missing the final.
Congratulations, we are so very proud of you.
It was great to see past student and current Queensland and Australian Wheelchair Basketball Athlete, Hayden Siebhur at the State Championships. He is current training in Brisbane at QSAC.
Boarding
Boarding News
Hi to all our wonderful families near and far.
This week has again passed so quickly. School events and timetables have been very busy for all our students. Today our Year 12 students had their final chapel. A sad yet happy time as they grapple with the realisation that their days as boarders and students of Concordia is quickly coming to an end.
Chrissy and Bradley are both walking around with big smiles on their faces however as an old hand in boarding I know they will also be trying not to think about the next step in their lives. They are just in the moment and good on them. Completing their secondary education is a huge achievement, let alone having spent all these years in boarding as well. It will be great for them to re-establish a full-time position back in their respective homes.
