Dear Parents and Caregivers

Congratulations to our Year 9 students on their very confident and heartfelt reflections which they shared with us on Tuesday evening as part of their Rite Journey Coming Home Service. Thank you, parents and caregivers, for your attendance and wonderful support throughout this journey, the current school year and their Googa experience. 

Thank you to Mr Stephen Miegel and Ms Rachel Scott for their guidance and wonderful pastoral care of these students during this journey. I have included in my section this week, a poem which was shared by one of the Year 9 Googa groups as a reflection on their time there, at the recently held family day. The words of the poem below says it all!

We are nearing the end of the school year at great speed, with lots of special events from Sports Breakfast to Year 6 evenings, the Years 6-11 Presentation Evening, etc, celebrating the achievements of the year. Mixed in with the celebrations is lots of work - the last of the Year 12 exams, exams for Year 11 and 10 and many other assessments, report writing, planning for 2022...

We are also nearing the end of the church year. On November 28 the season of Advent begins, which marks the new year within the church’s calendar.  

Advents refers to the arrival of someone or something. Advent is a period of getting ready for an arrival. The arrival of Christ in the world.

We are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our students in Years 6 to 11 at the inaugural Years 6-11 Presentation Evening taking place on Monday 22 November at The Empire Theatre from 6pm.

Students will be presented awards for academic, citizenship, cultural and sporting achievements on the night. There will also be entertaining dance and music performances from our talented students at this event. You will be notified prior to the event if your child is receiving an award and you are welcome to invite extended family to attend.

Due to COVID requirements, all parents and caregivers must book tickets via The Empire Theatre Box Office.

$36,000 negotiable

We are selling our 20 passenger seat Toyota Coaster bus which is in great condition and only has 197,830km. This has currently been used as a school bus, with Queensland "School Bus" signage and flashing lights.

All seats have lap belts or standard seat belts. The bus also has an alloy bullbar, tow bar, 12 volt and 24 volt plugs, air conditioning throughout. It has a 6-speed manual gearbox with 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine.

The bus has current Queensland registration with a current inspection certificate and RWC. If you are keen, you could turn this into a camper home or use as is. This has been a very reliable vehicle and we are only selling due to downsizing. Currently advertised on Gumtree.

Please contact Tyrone Lanagan, Operations Manager, on 4688 2700.

We have received a fantastic response to the Uniform Survey that has been sent to students, parents and caregivers and staff members. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their feedback about the uniform - we appreciate it!

It's great to see so many members of the community have their say so the Leadership Team can make informed decisions about the uniform.

If you haven't completed the Uniform Survey, you have until next Friday 19 November to have your say. Click the button below to complete the quick and easy online form.

We are excited to announce that the Lecture Theatre upgrade where new seating, carpet and audiovisual technology will be installed will be commencing during the Christmas holidays.

To date we have sold almost two-thirds of the seats for the Lecture Theatre and are asking members of our community who haven't already done so to purchase a seat in your family's name.

Many thanks to everyone who has already purchased a seat for this important upgrade to our learning facilities at Stephen Street Campus. Click here to see the current seating plan with the names of our generous donors.

If you would like to purchase a seat in the Lecture Theatre, please click the button:

Pastor Thomas has been a new face this semester at Concordia and the students and staff are enjoying him leading some of our Chapel services. This week, Pastor Thomas shared the story of his life in East Germany, and how he was captured and became a political prisoner. His story was one of courage, persistence, resilience and a constant faith in God. He reminded us that no matter what struggles we may encounter in our lives, God will always be by our sides.

This year we introduced Maths pathways to our Year 5 and 6 cohorts across the Junior College campuses. On average, our students have completed approximately 1.5 years’ worth of growth in learning since the introduction of Maths Pathways.

In this video, Mrs Stacey Warrener and Mr Paul Baker talk about how Maths Pathways has enhanced the learning of our Years 5 and 6 students in mathematics.

Concordia Hume Street Kindergarten provides a tailored program specifially for 3 year old children known as Pre Kindy. Pre Kindy provides a great foundation for children prior to commencing Kindergarten. Pre Kindy provides children with a chance to grow, learn and develop all in a play based environment, while also setting children up for success for the rest of their lives. It supports a great transition not only from Pre Kindy into the Kindergarten program, but also improves the transition into Prep as the children are so familiar with the beautiful school environment where we are located. 

Pre Kindy runs every Friday from 8.30am to 3pm during school terms. 

Children who attend Pre Kindy receive priority placement for Kindergarten classes the following year. 

We are finalising places for our Pre Kindy program for 2022. If you are interested in more information about Pre Kindy, please make contact with Christie.Rheeder@concordia.qld.edu.au or phone 46 135 610. 

On 4 November, the WSC and HSC Year 5 classes went to St Helena Island in Brisbane. First, we were on a bus for two hours, then on a boat for what felt like ages! When we got to the island, we ate some lunch, went to the toilet and headed off on our adventure!

First stop, the cemetery! We were allowed to see the prisoners' graves and the Warder’s children. Next, we went on a long walk to the prison and the blacksmith’s building. We were told about the prisoner powered tram and how Queensland’s best shooters were hired to shoot the prisoners who tried to escape. Then we moved onto the bakery and then the big well. We then moved onto a courtyard with a smaller well.

Prisoner 321 (our tour guide) told us the story of a man who drowned himself in the water of the well. Prisoner 321 let us look through the museum that was the old Warder’s Office. He then took us to the big canon that used to send emergency signals.

We went back to our starting point and ate some lunch. Everyone then got on the Cat ‘o’ Nine Tail Cruises that took us to land. We then took the bus home and at 4.30 we arrived at Hume Street.

In my opinion, St Helena Island was really fun and educational. It was a great trip to go on with my friends.

Ivy Stafleu
WSC Year 5 Student

The much anticipated JC 2021 Year 6 Big Day Out will be held on Wednesday 24 November. Please read the attached Parent Information Letter which provides you with more details about this excursion. 

Permission Required
Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission for your child to attend this excursion by Thursday 18 November 2021.

• Login to Parent Lounge >
• click on Events and Payments >
• click on JC Year 6 Big Day Out 2021 >
• 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 Information and Medical Conditions. 

Should you have any further queries regarding this excursion, please contact your child's teacher.

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. 

Please note: This will be the last tuckshop for the year.

We would like to invite you to attend the HSC 2021 Awards Presentation and Carols by Candlelight on Wednesday 24 November. This will be held on the sports oval but if it is raining we will hold it in the hall. 

Please see below an outline of the program.
5.30pm - please join us for a picnic dinner. There will be Pizza, Dagwood Dogs, Chips and Drinks available or feel free to BYO food.
6.30pm - Welcome and Awards Presentation followed by our Carols by Candlelight.

We will also be selling some neon flameless candles on the night for $2.50 each.

Concordia is required to strictly follow the Queensland Government COVID-19 guidelines for school events which requires all guests to pre-register in household groups using this form. (People who live in the same household are considered to be a household group.) All guests are required to practice social distancing of 1.5 metres with other household groups at the event.

Click Here to register your attendance on the night.

We will be running our Colour Explosion Fun Run on Monday 15 November. 

Students are invited to wear something white or old for the fun run and waterslide. Could you please send in a towel and their sports uniform to change into after the fun run is finished.

Parents are invited to come along and help squirt colour over your students. Please see the schedule below.
8.45am - Prep 
9.15am - Years 1 and 2
9.45am - Years 3 and 4
10.15am - Years 5 and 6
10.45am - GYG Meal Deal 

The Colour Explosion Fun Run will be held on the oval between the Kindy and the lower swings.

Please note: This will be the last Tuckshop for this year.

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. 

Parents, please find a list of costume requirement for our Christmas Musical, ‘Don't Be Afraid'. Some items of your child’s costume will be provided. Please contact your teacher if you have any difficulties finding the items below:

On Tuesday 23 November, all students from Prep to Year 6 will be involved in the Christmas Musical. Please note the following details:

• Students will need to arrive at 6.30pm and meet in their classrooms.
• The doors to The Shed will open at 6.45pm for families.
• The Musical will commence at 7pm sharp.

Please note that reserved seating will be available for the Year 6 parents and guests at the front. 

Don’t forget to bring your costumes on Thursday 18 November and Monday 22 November for the dress rehearsals.

This afternoon saw the last Year 12 External Exam completed. I commend the Year 12s for the effort that they have put in over the past 12 months. Completing Year 12 is certainly a marathon, not a sprint and there is a strong sense that this group of young people have run the race well.

We are looking forward to our last catch up with the Year 12s for this year at their Brunch next week. We are looking forward to seeing many of them back at the 2022 Scholars Assembly early next year.

Alongside their academic pursuits, I want to acknowledge and thank the Year 12 students for the leadership and contributions they have made during their time on Stephen Street Campus through their involvement in the many and varied aspects of College life.

Well done, Year 12, and enjoy the transition into the next chapters of your lives.

Congratulations to Year 10 Arts student, Georgette May, who this week was awarded a share of the Empire Theatres Foundation’s $25,000 in bursaries. Recipients were presented with their bursary certificate in a ceremony celebrating 30 of the region's most talented students. 

Georgette will receive ongoing support from the Empire Theatre Youth Bursary in 2022 and will have the opportunity to attend the Queensland Conservatorium - Musical Theatre and Acting Masterclasses next year as part of her award. 

This week, students will be sent recall emails asking them to return any long-overdue library books and other resources they may have on their account.

Textbooks will be returned to the library at the direction of teachers in the last weeks of school. Any textbooks or library resources not returned during Week 8 will be followed up. Parents will be included in on these follow-up emails. This is so you are aware of what resources need to be found and can remind, and help if need be, also of what cost can be expected if the items are not returned. Any resource not returned by period 5 on the last day of school will be billed. 

We are more than happy to lend books out over the holidays, but students must come and see me to arrange this.

Year 12 textbooks can be returned to the library after your exams and are due on 17 November. If they are not returned by then, they will be billed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in contact.

Mrs Heidi Edwards
Teacher-Librarian

Hello boarding families!

Today, I write this boarding message with many mixed feelings of sadness and joy. Many students are adjusting to not having the Year 12 students around. I spoke to all students before they left and they are all excited for the new chapter in their lives to begin with many securing jobs straight out of school. It is great to see the great work ethic that these students have and how they want to be self-supporting. Now that’s great to hear parents!

After more than two years, Ryan was able to return home to Hong Kong to be with his family, however not without having to do the 14 days quarantine in Hong Kong. So have a thought for Ryan on 23 November when he will finally be home with family and friends. Thank you to Mr Patrick Rudd for taking Ryan to Brisbane and ensuring he got on his plane. You will be missed, Ryan.

While names and faces change, memories will not and now that you are all gone we can add all those photos you never wanted on the wall. You will be remembered as a great cohort. Best of luck Year 12 of 2021 in the future, every one of you! Enjoy the special photo gallery below.