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There are several activities, events and excursions happening across the College in Term 2. Please familiarise yourself with the College calendar so that you don’t miss out on an event. We will endeavour to keep reminding the Concordia and wider community of these activities via our various information platforms. I am going to be biased and remind you that the College Musical Performance We Will Rock You will be held at the Empire Theatre from Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 May. Tickets to this event, which is expected to be sold out, will go on sale in due course – watch this space!

This week on Wednesday we held our Cross-country carnivals across all campuses. Congratulations to those athletes who Embraced the Possibilities and shone in their area of strength and will now go on to represent Concordia at the next level of competition. Well done to all the other runners who also Embraced the Possibilities by stepping up on the day, completed their race and earned points for their house. Thank you to the many parents, caregivers, family members and friends who attended on the day to support the students. Thank you to all the staff who helped as officials and encouragers on the day. A final thank you must be extended to Mr. Darron Skinner-Martin and Mr. Darryl Fry who planned, organised, put up with a wet weather delay last term and then hit the reset button again on Wednesday. An outstanding morning of Cross-country running all up – well done to everyone!

An initiative which has been built into our Chapel time at Concordia by Pastor Thomas is an “Ask the Pastor” session once a term. This affords our students the wonderful opportunity to ask some tough questions about religion and spirituality within a Christian context. When your children ask you a religious or spiritual question, the way you answer will depend on your own beliefs, how you feel about religion and spirituality in general. Consider these ideas for when your child asks tough questions:

• Reflect on your own views of religion or spirituality. Think about where you stand and why.
• Be open to the topic as children are more likely to ask you about religion or spirituality if they sense that you are willing to talk about it.
• Young children ask a lot of big questions: Why is the sky blue? Where does God live? If God created everything, who created God? You don’t need to know the answer to these questions to hold a conversation with your child. Often, when a young child asks a question, he or she wants to talk about the subject and not get an answer. Ask, What do you think? Remember to let your classroom teacher know if you need help with answering any questions.
• Children will often ask questions about topics that are new to them, such as seeing a person wearing a crucifix, burka or yarmulke. If you don’t know, find out together.
• Include children in religious rituals that are important to your family. Talk about why these are important to your family. Remember to reference their experiences within the Christian Studies, Chapel and devotion times at Concordia.
• Older children can have doubts about religion and spirituality, particularly when bad things happen in the world. Find ways you can approach this question. Once again, reach out to the College if you need support in this area.
• Teenagers sometimes ask difficult religious or spiritual questions. Be open to questions and help them understand that things may not always make sense.
• Depending on their experience, older teenagers either become more religious or less religious. Continue having conversations with them on their journey, but don’t push them too hard along a specific religious path.
• Continue to model your religious journey to your teenager. If you are reading books about religion, talk about what you are reading and why you find it interesting. If you’re involved in a religious congregation, continue to attend even if you can’t convince your teenager to go. Your children will learn a lot from you by what you say and do. [Acknowledgement: ParentFurther]

As we come to the end of Week 1, please remember that Concordia propagates a strong open-door policy. This allows for a timely, transparent, trusting and face-to-face approach to our working partnership. I look forward to again engaging with and walking this journey with you in Term 2.

Have safe term and relaxing weekend.

Yours in Christ.

Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College

Quote of the week: Faith is not hoping God can, it is knowing He will. [Mark 16:6]

Our first topic will focus on the importance of “Sleep.” At the beginning of each term, conversation is usually conducted with students and families about their school holidays and what they enjoyed the most. One of the more common responses that I have received this past week has been, “It was good to get some sleep.” School holidays are a great to time to get some extra rest that can allows students to feel more energetic, motivated, and ready to learn when they return to school. The challenge that students often face is maintaining these energy levels throughout the school term, particularly when things get busy. Developing positive sleeping habits are essential toward improving mental and physical wellbeing.

Sleep is important for a child’s development: psychologically, physiologically and emotionally. Sleep is just as vital for overall development as diet and exercise. Headspace recommends that students aged between 6 – 12 Years require between 9 – 12 hours of sleep each night, with adolescents aged 14 – 17 Years requiring 8 – 10 hours of sleep each night.

Students today have busy schedules, with ever increasing responsibilities both at school and at home. Many kids, especially adolescents, are going to bed later. For teenagers, the release of sleep-wake hormones such as melatonin and cortisol are often delayed by up to 2 hours. This means the average bedtime may be pushed back later as some teenagers may report that they don’t feel tired earlier in the night. Pushing bedtimes too late, however, can potentially leave students at least one hour short of the optimal amount of sleep each day. Over the period of one week, this can add up to a sleep debt of 5 hours and may result in sleep deprivation.

Some tips general tips to follow to ensure students are receiving adequate sleep includes:

• Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each morning.
• Do physical activity during the day, preferably outside.
• If you're worrying about things during the night, set aside some time for problem-solving during the day.
• Avoid drinks that contain caffeine (e.g. tea, coffee or soft drinks). After 4pm as it’s a brain stimulant.
• Allow yourself time to wind down before going to bed. If you're working or studying, stop at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Try to relax before bed, avoiding phones, tablets and TV.

For further information about the importance of sleep for young people, access the resources through School TV link provided below.

Further resources around the topic of sleep will be provided to families over the coming weeks as part of “Wellness Wednesdays” through the Concordia ŮŮ��Ƶ College social media platforms. If you would like information on any other wellbeing related topics, School TV is accessible via the tab on the homepage of our College website (see image below).

God Bless!

Mr Tony Manteufel
Director of Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Term 2 is a time for growth, both academically and in terms of well-being. Our students will be challenged to build on the skills and knowledge they gained in Term 1, and to push themselves to achieve even greater success Our teachers have planned an engaging and varied curriculum, designed to stimulate the minds and imaginations of our students. We will continue to focus on academic excellence and supporting students in their learning journeys.

At the same time, we recognise the importance of student wellbeing. We understand that our students have unique challenges and stresses, and we are committed to supporting them in all aspects of their lives. The Well-being Curriculum that was started in Term 1 will be continued and will heavily support the wellbeing of our children.

As always, we welcome your involvement in our school community. Whether it is volunteering in the classroom, attending events, or supporting your child’s learning at home, your participation and support are critical to our students successes. We encourage you to stay connected with our college through our weekly newsletter, The Week Ahead, website, social media channels, and Seesaw.

to view HSC's Events for Term 2, Week 2.
to view WSC's Events for Term 2, Week 2.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to an exciting term ahead.

Mrs Juanetta Priest - Director of Campus (Hume Street)
Mrs Jackie Minnikin - Director of Campus (Warwick Street)

We started this term with a bang on Wednesday with Cross Country. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible success of this event, and thank Mr Darron Skinner-Martin for his organisation. Our students showed tremendous resilience, perseverance, and sportsmanship as they tackled the challenging course. It was inspiring to see so many of our students pushing themselves to achieve their personal best, and we are incredibly proud of all who participated. Well done to all our Cross Country participants on a fantastic event! Winners will be announced next Friday on Assembly.

One of the other sporting highlights for this term is the Track and Field Carnival, which will be held on Thursday 4 May. This is always an exciting day for our students as they showcase their athletic abilities and team spirit. We encourage all students to participate and give their best effort, while also cheering on their classmates. Go Altus!

In Week 5, we have our school musical - We Will Rock You. This is an amazing opportunity for our students to showcase their talents in singing, acting, and dancing. With tickets on sale soon, we encourage all families and friends to come and support our students in this fantastic production. There is a great sense of anticipation in the air.

In Week 7, our Year 8 students will embark on their first high school outdoor education experience at Camp Laurence at Lake Moogerah. This is an incredible opportunity for our students to step outside their comfort zones, develop new skills, and form lasting friendships. We wish our Year 8s all the best on this exciting adventure.

This is only a small snapshot of the many opportunities on offer this term. Next Monday 24 April we will also be holding our Stephen Street Campus ANZAC Day ceremony at 12pm in the Chapel. As we approach ANZAC Day, it is important to remember and honour the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served our country in times of war and conflict. ANZAC Day is a time to reflect on the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of those who fought to defend our freedom and way of life. By commemorating ANZAC Day, we show our gratitude for their service and recognise the importance of upholding the values of courage, sacrifice, and selflessness that they exemplified. Let us never forget the sacrifices made by our ANZACs, and let us continue to honour their legacy by striving to build a more peaceful and just world.

Have a great term!

Yours in faith,

Mr Jamie Pukallus
Director of Campus