ConcordiaŮŮ��ƵCollege

The Week Ahead - Term 3, Week 10

Monday 12 September to Friday 16 September 2022

From the Head of College

Dear Parents and Caregivers

It has been wonderful to follow our Year 6 students on their trip up in Cairns and the surrounding area via the Blog created by Mrs Kellie Maddock and Mr Paul Baker – the beauty of technology! What an incredible time, experiences and gorgeous weather the students, parent helpers and staff have had this week. We look forward to welcoming this group this afternoon next as we prepare to enter the final week for Term 3. Thank you to Mrs Maddock, Mr Baker and all the support staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this experience possible for our Year 6 students.

Next week we will kick off the farewell celebrations for our Year 12 students as we celebrate our Year 12 Boarders at the Boarder Recognition Dinner on Wednesday night and then the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner on Friday night. The arrival of the Year 12 students at the Redlands Building is a highlight and much-anticipated event on the College calendar. This is also a great opportunity, for us as a community, to acknowledge the effort put in by these young adults and their families as well as given our other students a sense of the rite of passage awaiting them.

As we celebrate these end-of-year rites of passage for our graduating students across the College, I would like to share with you information about useful life skills that will allow for more successful learning in the classroom and a greater sense of belonging at school and in the greater world for our students at Concordia. Addressing others respectfully in written communication with a “Dear Mr or Mrs…” rather than just a “Hey” or “Hi” will make a long-lasting impression, especially with adults who are not relatives, your friends or potential employers.

Students who can organise their own schedules such as getting to school or a practice on time and showing up for events on time, are more confident at school and in the wider adult world. A parent once shared with me that she kept track of the number of minutes spent waiting for her late son and deducted those minutes from his weekly screen time. When he had a good [not perfect] week, he got bonus minutes. Screen time, game time, play time – whatever is valued can be used to teach this lesson.

Ask yourself how well your child would fare if their working life started today. If the answer makes you unsure, you’ve got time to implement some changes. Demonstrate good manners, especially when talking to other adults. Remind your child to look people in the eye and greet them, answer questions clearly [don’t do this for them] and to make conversation. Let your teens organise their own time schedule after school maybe one day a week. Let them find out the consequence of spending all their time on a device instead of getting work done. Let them organise their own transport arrangements [i.e., checking in that you are available to take them somewhere rather than just assuming that mum or dad’s “taxi” will be available] for one element of their lives.

Every young person will find their own way and every parent will let go in their own way. But moving forward is easier for everyone when life skills are passed on before they are needed. [Acknowledgement: Healthysafechildren].

Have a safe and relaxing weekend.

Yours in Christ

Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College

Quote of the week: Healing, it turns out, is a journey. It doesn’t happen all at once. [C. Lessor]

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From the College Pastor

Embrace the possibilities

We have entered that busy time of the year where, in addition to assessments and exams, a multitude of special events are happening that showcase our student’s work and who we are as a community. I have really enjoyed the various concerts and music presentations in the last couple of weeks and am looking forward to the Boarder Dinner and the Valedictory Arrival and dinner next week.

There are many students involved in finals for various sports and it is good to note their commitment. The new student leaders for next year, who take up their work next term, have been announced – and what a strong and inspiring group of young people we have in those roles.

While these things are quite visible, there is also a lot of work happening behind the scenes, planning for 2023 as we take our 2022 theme Imagine the Possibilities and, as Mr Prinsloo pointed out earlier this term, move into embracing the possibilities.

Our sub-theme for the term: “Walking on Water” (following the story of Peter doing just that in Matthew 14) helped us unpack the challenges along the way and reminded us of the need to step out of our comfort zone, to try new things and trust in God’s guidance and support. This week in Chapel, we remembered how Martin Luther stepped out 500 years ago by using a difficult situation in exile at the Wartburg castle as a condemned outcast of the empire, to translate the New Testament into German, enabling ordinary people to access God’s word.

It would take him another 12 years to complete the whole bible, translating from the original Hebrew and Greek languages into the common German. This proved formational for the German language and nation – and became an instant bestseller. The impact was probably far greater than Luther had imagined, but his courage to step out and do this work, brought great and positive change.

I guess in 2023 we are seeking to embrace the possibilities before us and our planning reflects this – whether it be working on the masterplan or on an integrated pastoral care program or developing our education approach, and in so many other areas to enable all students to be engaged in their learning and to grow into well rounded adults. There are plenty of challenges, but also great possibilities for our community here and we pray that we can continue to journey together as we seek to offer an education in a Christian setting that prepares our students for the challenges of the 21st century and beyond and provides them with the confidence to step out in faith.

In Isaiah 42:9 the Lord speaks through the prophet declaring to his people:

'See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.’

We trust that the same Lord is at work in and through us, guiding us into the future he has prepared for us.

Have a blessed week.

Pastor Thomas Böhmert
College Pastor

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Walk My Way

At Concordia ŮŮ��Ƶ College, we are aware of the many blessings that God has provided us with and the responsibilities that come with being so blessed! We are encouraged to share our gifts with others, so that all may experience God’s infinite love and care.

Walk My Way is part of The Grace Project, which since 2019, has helped more than 62,500 refugee children to go to school!

This year again we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives and future of refugee children.

$26 will allow one child to attend school for one year, including learning materials! It is facilitated by Australian ŮŮ��Ƶ World Service, a government approved aid organisation, with a great track record for helping those most in need.

Could the Concordia community send 100 children to school next year? Come and join the Concordia Community for the Walk My Way events this year!

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Community News

Spring Has Sprung Soloist Concert

Over 25 students performed at the Spring has Sprung Solo Concert on Thursday 1 September in the Concordia Chapel. This concert is a celebration of students’ ability to perform music on any instrument and is open to students across all three campuses. It provides a platform for performers of all levels to share something from their current performance ready repertoire with the College community. This concert displayed woodwind, brass, piano and vocal talents by performers from Year 3 to Year 12. Well done to all performers. Stay tuned for the next one!

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SWQ Futsal Competition Term 4

Australia Futsal will be assisting Concordia ŮŮ��Ƶ College in developing a futsal program. For more information please .

HSC Parent Connect Mango Fundraiser

Sports Apparel & Indigenous Polos update

Many thanks to everyone who ordered additional sports apparel and indigenous polo shirts in the second round of sales.

The supplier has advised that the orders will be ready in the first week of Term 4. We will contact everyone who has ordered when they have arrived and are ready for collection.

Thank you for your patience.

Project Based Learning at Concordia

Junior College

From the Junior College Directors

With one week to go before the September holidays, our Junior College campuses continue to be a hive of activity as we finish off a term’s learning.

We welcome back our Year 6 students tonight from their trip to Cairns where they have been fortunate to visit places such as Green Island, Kuranda and Mossman Gorge. From all reports, the weather in the north has been beautiful and this has been shown in the picturesque photos that have been shared with us throughout the week. Please take the time to enjoy some of these photos below.

On Monday, our Year 3 String Ensembles played for us as a grand finale to their strings program for the year. A huge thank you must go to Mrs Georgie Meecham for the work that she has done with these students. We also say farewell to Georgie as she prepares for the arrival of her second child. We wish her all the best and look forward to meeting her new arrival.

Concordia’s Junior College has many talented chess players and this week we sent two teams to the Toowoomba District Primary Schools Chess tournament at Toowoomba Christian College. Our students performed extremely well and we are excited to announce that one of our teams has now progressed to the State Qualifying Competition at Toowoomba Anglican School this Saturday. We wish Marcus Dealtry, Andrew Ye, Kelvin Huang and Akash Guduru all the best as they compete in their next competition.

As next week is the final week for the term, we will again end the term with our closing Chapel services. Each of these Chapel services will be held at the normal time and we would love to invite you to attend.

Blessings for the week ahead.

to view HSC's Events for Term 3, Week 10.
to view WSC's Events for Term 3, Week 10.

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

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JC Free Dress Day – Thursday 15 September

Outside School Hours Care

Hume Street Campus

HSC Open Afternoon - 15 September, 3.30pm-4.30pm

We are excited to invite you to come and experience Term 3 learning at HSC. Our students will have their learning ready to share with grandparents on Friday 16 September and we would love for you to have a sneak peak as well the afternoon before.

You can drop in and stay for as long or as short as you like. You are welcome to visit multiple or all classrooms.

We will operate pick up as normal for all students. Please collect your child from pick up to visit the classrooms or to go home.

Family friends and relatives are welcome as well.

Hume Street Kindergarten 2023

Are you or do you know of someone looking for that unique and special Kindergarten year for your child? A year guaranteed of play, discovery, learning, creativity, adventure, and fun! Concordia Hume Street Kindergarten takes great pride in setting children up for success and creating a smooth transition from Kindergarten to school.

Our 3-year-old Pre-Kindy runs on Fridays from 8.30am–3pm. 4-year-old Kindergarten program runs over two days, with a Mon/Tues group and a Wed/Thurs group from 8am–4pm. At present we do have availability to cater for children to attend three or four days of Kindergarten.

Please contact Concordia Hume Street Kindergarten ASAP to find our more details or to secure a placement.
Phone: 07 4613 5610
Email:
christie.rheeder@concordia.qld.edu.au
leanne.potter@concordia.qld.edu.au

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HSC Tuckshop Orders

Please note: There is no tuckshop this week, Week 10 Term 3, or Week 1 Term 4. Tuckshop will start again in Week 2 Term 4.

Term 4 Tennis Coaching at HSC

Tennis coaching will be available in Term 4. Please click below for the relevant information:

Parent Help for Grandparents' Day - 16 September

We would love your help on Grandparents' Day in providing a plate of food for morning tea. Each year level is being asked to bring a certain type of food to share.

Prep – Fruit Platter
Year 1 – Hot Food (mini pies, quiches, sausage rolls etc)
Year 2 – Biscuits
Year 3 – Cakes/Cupcakes, Muffins
Years 4/5 – Slices
Years 5/6 – Sandwiches

To avoid huge wastage and in consideration of our earth’s sustainability, we are happy to wash up dishes to return to you, however, please ensure that your name in on them.

HSC Grandparents' Day - 16 September

We would love to invite our special Grandparents to come and spend the morning with our students on Friday 16 September. The morning will follow:
8.40am Classroom visits
9.50am Special Chapel Service
10.30am Shared morning tea in the Junior Playground.

Please use the link below to register your attendance by Friday 9 September.

We look forward to welcoming as many Grandparents as can join us this year.

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HSC Prep to Year 6 Swimming Lessons

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 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

WSC Bring Your Pet to School Day

Please to RSVP for you and your pet. RSVP is required by Monday 12 September.

WSC Tuckshop Orders

Please note: There is no tuckshop this week and also in Week 1 of Term 4. Tuckshop will start in Week 2.

WSC Tennis Coaching - Term 4

Tennis coaching will be held during Term 3. Click the relevant link below for further information:

WSC Prep to Year 6 Swimming Lessons - Term 4

On Monday 10 October, Prep to Year 6 students will commence their swimming lessons at the Concordia Aquatic Centre. Each of these classes will participate in lessons over Term 4.

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Stephen Street Campus

From the Director of Campus

Once again the rain is falling as I write my The Week Ahead article. In speaking with my farming friends this week, we are finding it hard to comprehend the extreme swing in conditions from the harsh drought and fire conditions of 2019 to the multiple rain and flooding events of 2022. I am reminded of Dorothy McKellar’s words from “I Love a Sunburnt Country”:

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of drought and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me!

When we talk about the concept of resilience with our students, we need not look far for great examples of this within our farming communities. Farming is a unique and testing endeavour. Crops don’t get out of the ground one year, and the next year you can’t get on the ground because it’s too wet! We continue to pray for a productive growth and harvest season ahead – may God bless our farming families.

RUOK? Day
We have extended the RUOK? Day theme this year to include activities across the week, to emphasise the need for people to reach out to others. While we did officially recognise RUOK? Day this Thursday, I commented to our Year 9 students that we must be careful not to send an unintended message that we should only be asking “RUOK?” on one day per year, but rather always keeping an eye out for signs that others may be struggling. We should also work towards having the personal courage to speak up if we are not travelling well ourselves. The popular phrase at the moment is “it’s ok not to be ok”. We remind our students that we have a fantastic Pastoral Care team at Concordia, and there are many adults waiting to listen if they need to share any concerns.

eSmart Week
Next week we will be recognising another important social topic regarding being safe online. During eSmart Week messages and resources will be distributed to students, parents and staff to raise awareness about ways to communicate safely online, be it through the web or on social media platforms. Parents commonly raise the issue of the difficulty in keeping up with advances in technology and the many ways in which young people connect online. It is hoped that the resources shared will help parents feel more confident in working with their children to experience the good aspects of communication online, while reducing the risks that come in this environment.

Year 12 Valedictory Dinner
It’s hard to believe the time is here already, but this time next week our Year 12 students will be busy beautifying themselves in preparation for their valedictory arrivals and dinner. What an amazing tradition this is for them to be a part of.

In my years in education, it has been a great pleasure seeing many formal events, each with its own feel and differing themes. From crazy coloured suits to tractor arrival vehicles, it is a highly anticipated event for not only the students, but also their families and the staff. We wish all the best to our Year 12 students who will be marking several “lasts” over the coming weeks. We hope to make your final weeks something very special.

Also, in the coming week our Year 9 students will be doing a Tabletop Mountain hike as part of their Googa preparation in Term 4. We are very excited to see another group get ready for this challenging, yet highly rewarding experience.

Have a great week.

Yours in faith,

Mr Jamie Pukallus
Director of Campus

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Paul Morton Choral Festival

The College Choir and Con Voce performed in the Paul Morton Choral Festival at the Empire Theatre on Tuesday 30 August 2022. This year’s festival brought together choral groups from many of Toowoomba’s secondary schools for a night of singing and entertainment and ended with a combined massed choir finale. We would like to acknowledge the support of the Empire Theatre and the Toowoomba Regional Council Community Access Fund for this event.

The community spirit and encouraging atmosphere at this festival is something that all students should be able to experience. Thank you to Mr Neil Roche-Kelly for preparing them for this event.

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Photography Competition

The in Adelaide is hosting a competition for photographers in high school. The competition will put students in the running to win prizes, as well as providing the top 30 photographers the chance to exhibit their work in the Light Gallery in Adelaide. Top entrants will be included in a yearly commemorative book.

Any students interested in this opportunity, can .

Sports News

Chloe Denning is currently competing in the School Sport Australia National Triathlon Championships at Hervey Bay. Earlier this week, Chloe received a silver medal in her age group competition. An absolutely amazing achievement, Chloe!

This morning in a relay team, Chloe's Queensland team won the event (this event is four team members completing a smaller Triathlon consecutively).

Congratulations to Chloe and her fellow team mates. This event has now capped off a tremendous season for Chloe, one that has seen her named in both School and Club Queensland Teams. Chloe, we are super proud of you!

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Boarding

Boarding News

Hello to all our families.

Well, Term 3’s end is fast approaching with only one week to go and what a week it will be!

The Year 11 students will finish their exams on Wednesday, followed by the Boarder Recognition Dinner on Wednesday evening where we acknowledge our 2022 Year 12 Boarder Captains and students Chrissy and Bradley. What a fantastic year they have both had.

The red carpet will be rolled out early Friday morning for the Year 12 arrivals at approximately 4.30pm. Please remember there will be no access to boarding via the Stephen Street entrance due to this event. Such hype, glamour and excitement all mixed up with those thoughts of their Concordia journey coming to an end will be going through the minds of our Year 12 students. On behalf of Boarding, Andrew and I wish Chrissy and Bradley all the best for their Formal on Friday evening.