The Week Ahead - Term 1, Week 7
Monday 8 March to Friday 12 March 2021
From the Head of College
We are looking forward to welcoming Pastor Nathan Glover and his family into the Concordia community during the days ahead. They have already moved to Toowoomba and Pastor Glover will be installed as Pastor – Emmanuel Lutheran Fellowship (ELF) at an Installation Service to be held in the Concordia Chapel on Sunday 14 March beginning at 2pm.
We also are waiting with excitement for Pastor Thomas Bohmert to join us as College Pastor at the beginning of Semester 2, 2021. Both pastors are qualified educationalists and will bring much to the College and wider school community.
As we move through into the second half of this school term, it is always good to reflect on the start that we have had to the 2021 year. At Concordia, our enrolments continue to increase on all campuses, and we are delighted with the increased confidence that the wider community has in the College and its programs.
Academic scholarship testing for 2022 entry was held last Saturday and, as in previous years, there was a strong cohort of applicants. A second round of Specialist Scholarship offers will be made in May, and application details are on the College’s website.
Congratulations to our sports women and men who have progressed through to the Darling Downs trials and beyond in recent times. Concordia students have done well in their chosen sports of Netball, Swimming, Baseball, Triathlon, Water Polo and AFL and I am pleased to be recognising these students on an individual basis and at assemblies in the coming days.
College Council has started the process of master planning for the future. This will be based on the current Strategic Plan that was developed in 2018/19 and will involve professional input from several consultants in the months and years ahead. There will be periodic reports to the wider community as the plan is developed and as the College enters the next exciting stage of its development.
Mr Adrian Wiles
Head of College
From the College Pastor
Community News
Uniform Shop Hours
Uniform items are available only from the College Uniform Shop which operates on the following days during term-time:
- Monday 8am to 12pm
- Wednesday 1pm to 4pm
- Friday 8am to 11am
For your convenience it is recommended that an appointment be made for outfitting your student by calling the Uniform Shop on 07 4688 2738.
If you are unable to attend during the above hours, please email the Uniform Shop with your order information: clcshop@concordia.qld.edu.au
Big Band News
The 鶹ý Big Band will be performing for the Inaugural Jazz Under the Stars music festival on Saturday 13 March. The festival was conceived by the Toowoomba Band Directors Guild in 2019 and, sadly, was postponed in 2020. The evening features a full line up of high school jazz bands with a special guest spot at the end of the night by the Cool Nights Big Band.
Reflect 2 Pivot Workshop
We are excited about the opportunity to invest time into thinking together with past, present and future College parents, students, leaders and staff about the next steps of our Learning in Residence journey at Concordia. As valued partners, we extend a heartfelt invitation to each of you to join the learning conversation and to continue making a difference.
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CARE for Rural Australia - Toowoomba by OzHelp Foundation
You're invited to this free CARE for Rural Australia workshop on Tuesday 23 March 2021.
Inter-House Cross Country
The Inter-House Cross Country will be held on Wednesday 10 March. .
Spectators are welcome for this event but due to COVID-19, we request you sign in at Reception (or via the Sine app) upon arrival.
Project Based Learning at Concordia
Junior College
Outside School Hours Care
Hume Street Campus
From the Director
Congratulations Emma and Emily
Emma Walkington and Emily Holding represented Concordia at the Darling Downs swimming on Wednesday 3 March. An extra congrats to Emma for being selected to go to State Championships.
Huge Thank You to our P&F Committee
We had two brand new 3D printers arrive this week. We are very excited to be putting them into use over the coming weeks. The P&F is also funding a brand new speaker system that will be used for many functions. The first being a ‘disco’ in the playground at lunchtime. We are looking forward to seeing some groovy moves.
Cold Weather Uniform Options
This week gave us a taste of the cooler weather and can act as a hint to make sure we are prepared for it. Please remember, the microfibre sport jacket can be worn with both sport and formal uniforms for both girls and boys. The woollen jumper is also an option and can be added under the sport jacket for extra warmth.
If your child is still cold, layers may be added under the uniform but must not be seen. Girls may wear navy stockings or school socks (not both). Slacks are available for girls from the Uniform Shop. Please find the Uniform Guide in Parent Lounge.
Lunch Time Activities
Over a week, the lunch time activities are many and varied. We thank our staff hugely for supporting and organising these activities.
- Activities Room – games, puzzles, origami, lego, popsticks art etc
- Library – storytime, lego, table games
- AFL Training
- Gardening
- Debating
- Student Council
- Playground fun times – soccer, zipline, rock pit, bikes, sandpit.
- Fun activities with Chappy
- Soon to include … lunchtime disco, cooking!!
Shout Out to Mr Engler
A huge thank you to Mr Engler for:
- topping up our soft fall and sandpit
- topping up the veggie gardens
- planting our lemon tree from Tyler Farrows
- installing our new runner to the front door
- painting the lines for our cross country, and track and field practices
- a huge job of hedging and mowing our beautiful grounds.
Thank you for helping us to look beautiful.
Student Council and Hume Street Service Leadership
Our HSC Student Council began meeting this week. At Hume Street Campus we have several Service Leadership opportunities being planned for this term. I would encourage you to talk with your children and decide as a family which one/s you would like to support. It is unusual for us to have so many, however, they are all personal to our campus and therefore we would like to be a part of as many as we are able.
- Bullying No Way Day and Crazy Sock Day – 19 March. Crazy Sock Day is to support Downs Syndrome and we have a student in kindy whom we would like to recognise and support. This will be a day where the students will be able to wear orange and crazy socks and if possible, bring a gold coin for Downs Syndrome Australia.
- Superhero day – we will be celebrating our very own hero, Eve. In her Leukemia journey this year, she has been an absolute hero. We will be making the capes and decorating them at school. We encourage your children to bring a gold coin donation for this event and this will go towards the Leukemia Foundation.
- Hume Street Kindy is supporting an appeal for Rosies. Rosies support and provide meals for the homeless. The kindy are collecting bottles of cordial, juice and long life mild to donate to Rosies. If you would like to also donate for this appeal, please bring your donations to HSC Reception.
- P&F Colour Fun Run – this has become an annual fun event. Please see information below about this.
- Year 4 Project for the Homeless – we will hear more about this later in the term. Due to the busyness of this term, the Year 4 project will culminate with a PJ Day early in Term 2.
Class Parent Reps
We love our Parent Reps and only have a couple of classes missing one. If you would like to self-nominate, please read the attached document and get in contact with either Juanetta Priest or your classroom teacher. We would love to have at least one per class and two is even better.
Prep –
Year 1 – Nicole Madden
Year 2 –
Year 3 – Tegan Charchar
Year 4 – Sasha Dolley
Year 5 – Lorinda Talbot
Year 6 – Peta Sorensen
to view HSC's Events for Week 7.
Mrs Juanetta Priest
Director of Campus
HSC Campus Photos – Monday 22 March
HSC Campus Photos – Monday 22 March
Our Campus Photos are scheduled for Monday 22 March. Could you please ensure your child/ren are in the correct uniform. Students in Prep and Year 1 will wear their sports uniform. All students from Years 2 to 6 are required to wear their Formal Uniform.
Family Photos
To enable parents to purchase a Family Photo of all or some of their children who attend 鶹ý, photos of siblings will be taken in the Hume Street Campus Hall between 8am and 8.15am on photo day.
It will be the parents’ responsibility to get their SSC children to HSC for the family photo and then take them to SSC ready for school before 8.30am. If you would like family photos done could you please collect a family photo envelope from Reception prior to Photo day.
Tuckshop Orders
At HSC, tuckshop is held on a Thursday. All orders are to be completed online at 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.
Colour Explosion Fun Run
Thank you so much for continuously supporting our school, especially through fundraising. This term, we are hosting a Colour Explosion School Fun Run.
Start fundraising today.
Did you know? Students raise 3x times more when they fundraise online! Visit to create your child’s cybersafe fundraising profile. Instructions are in your child’s sponsorship booklet. You have until Friday 23 April to fundraise, so make sure you get cracking!
The big day is coming!
We are so excited to host our Colour Explosion School Fun Run on Tuesday 30 March. On the day, make sure your child brings a white shirt and old shorts for the Fun Run and waterslide! They will be covered in non-toxic, high quality colour powder from head to toe! They will also need a water bottle and their hat. Sunscreen will be provided in the classrooms prior to the event.
How do prizes work? Help your child fundraise more by setting a prize goal! It’s okay if they change their mind – you order their exact prizes later. You can order your child’s prizes online at by Friday 9 April . Alternatively, complete the back page of your sponsorship booklet when you return your cash donations. Students can choose a prize based on the total amount of dollars raised, or mix and match smaller prizes.
Share in $200,000 worth of extra prize credit! Achieve bigger prizes by helping your child earn bonus credit on their online profile. By reaching fundraising milestones online, you can share in $200,000 of extra prize credit!
Become a Fundraising MonSTAR! Collect all virtual badges on your online profile page and receive your own Fundraising MonSTAR bag tag.
Class Reward Prize. Teamwork counts! If your class creates the most online profile pages each student will receive a Fundraising MonSTAR handball.
FundRazor of the Year Award. Do you think you can top the national leader board? Australia’s highest fundraising student in Australia will win a Razor Prize Pack, worth $4,900!
If you have any questions about the Colour Explosion School Fun Run please contact the office of on 1300 133 022. Thanks for supporting our school and we hope to see you at the event.
Happy fundraising!
Lots of Socks – World Down Syndrome Day – 19 March
On Friday 19 March we are asking students to wear their craziest socks to school and bring along a gold coin donation to help support World Down Syndrome Day.
Warwick Street Campus
From the Director
As I wandered around the playground this morning before school, the energy of students, staff and parents was infectious. I spoke to the students at Assembly on Monday about how “Your vibe attracts your tribe”, and WSC certainly has a great vibe at the moment!
The playground has also been a hive of activity this week. Our Campus Captains and Sport Captain have been running a lunch time athletics club, the Library has been abuzz with Lego Mystery Bags, and the new playground is still getting a great workout. There are many activities on offer for our students at lunch time to support many different interests.
Week 7 has finally arrived and the students have been hard at work training for the Inter-House Cross Country on Wednesday and we look forward to the parents joining us for this event. Our 4-9 year olds will run at WSC and the first race will commence at 9am.
The 10-12 year olds will run on the Stephen Street Campus course after Morning Tea with the first race beginning at 11am. Warwick Street Kindy students will also join us for the Cross Country and we look forward to cheering them on as they compete in their first sporting event at the "big school".
A reminder that our Glow Disco for Yeas 1 to 6 will be held in the Shed on Friday 12 March from 6pm to 7.30pm. At this time our parents are invited to a special evening with me in the Resource Centre where we will have time to chat and you will be able to hear about all the exciting things happening at WSC this year. I hope you will be able to join us for this event.
to view WSC's Events for Week 7.
Blessings for the week ahead.
Mrs Jackie Minnikin
Director of Campus
A Special Invitation from the Director of Campus
Students from Years 1 to 6 have been invited to a Glow Disco on Friday 12 March from 6pm to 7.30pm. While the students are enjoying their time at the disco, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for our parents to spend some time together with a special Wine and Cheese Evening in the Resource Centre. Come and enjoy some time together to chat and hear about all the exciting things happening at WSC this year.
If you would like to attend, please for information.
Word on the Street
Word on the street is that Thomas Tang from Year 5 made it to the "Number 1" table at TDPS Individual Chess Tournament. He was ranked 11th overall out of approximately 190 students. Congratulations Thomas!
Tuckshop Orders
At WSC, Tuckshop is held on a Wednesday. All orders are to be completed online at 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 9.
WSC Campus Photos – Wednesday 17 March
WSC Campus Photos – Wednesday 17 March
Our Campus Photos are scheduled for Wednesday 17 March. Could you please ensure your child/ren are in the correct uniform. Students in Prep will wear their sports uniform. All students from Years 1 to 6 are required to wear their Formal Uniform.
Family Photos
To enable parents to purchase a Family Photo of all or some of their children who attend 鶹ý, photos of siblings will be taken in the Warwick Street Campus Shed between 8am and 8.15am on photo day.
It will be the parents’ responsibility to get their SSC children to WSC for the family photo and then take them to SSC ready for school before 8.30am. If you would like family photos done could you please collect a family photo envelope from Reception prior to Photo day.
Lots of Socks – World Down Syndrome Day – 19 March
On Friday 19 March we are asking students to wear their craziest socks to school and bring along a gold coin donation to help support World Down Syndrome Day.
Stephen Street Campus
Year 8 Ironbark Camp
On Wednesday 17 February, 38 very excited Year 8 students departed with their Home Class teachers, Mrs Sonya Holden and Mrs Karen Rohde for their three day ‘Mini Googa’ camp experience at Ironbark. Mr David Rentell, a Year 8 camp expert, was also in attendance to supervise the boys as they headed out onto their hike and overnight sleep out on the first night of camp.
Mr Jason Smith and I also visited and enjoyed spending time with the students while they were engaged in the various activities organised by the camp staff.
Ironbark Outdoor Education Centre is located an hour away near Crow’s Nest. The program focuses on the values of community, commitment and connection. Students are encouraged to discover strength born of teamwork and persistence and to awaken their individual capabilities.
Four main elements make up the Ironbark program. These are:
• Outdoor pursuits
• Farm skills
• Environmental awareness
• Community living
Mrs Roslyn Cook
Year Level and Pastoral Coordinator (Years 6 to 8)
Camp was great this year. We did the hike on the first day and hiked back on the second day. The sleep on the first night at Cronin’s was good. The pork stew we ate on the first night was also very tasty. Our first walk took two hours and on the way back, it was approx. 1.1 hours. My hike group was first both times. The food was always delicious. There was a dog maned Arlo that everyone liked at Ironbark. The flying fox was the best part of the entire thing. Henry Sippel
Year 8 Camp, in my opinion, was an awesome experience. I liked it because we got to do a lot of fun activities like the flying fox, low ropes, farm jobs, and hiking. This camp was a great experience because it was going to prepare us for our one month camp at Googa next year. I think that the food tasted amazing and my favourite dish was the noodles with vegetables. I am proud that I did things out of my comfort zone like the flying fox. One of my favourite things about this camp was sleeping outside. Jaida Heilig
There were many things I enjoyed about camp. There were some bummers though because I was sick with a pretty bad cold. I really enjoyed swimming in the dam, it was quite refreshing. I also enjoyed camping out at Cronin’s although the hike there was frustrating and tiring. The food was very good and delicious. I also enjoyed gardening and the watering was relaxing. I enjoyed spending lots of time with my friends as well. I think I have grown in more ways than one from camp and the messages the camp staff had for us weren’t corny but true and important. I also really treasured the stargazing. Kataya Krienke
For Year 8 camp we went to Ironbark. It was really fun and exciting, and we did lots of activities such as raft building, flying fox, farm jobs and, finally, an overnight hike! My favorite part was the flying fox and the hike. I learned a lot about navigation and did farm jobs for the first time. I wish the camp had been longer, and I would recommend this camp to all future Year 8 students. Keira Otto
The best part of Year 8 camp was the flying fox. On Year 8 camp we went on a hike and stayed out overnight. I grew mentally stronger by learning how to do farm jobs like milking a cow. I learned that there is more to a school camp than just going on hike and having a few days off school. It is about learning how to work as a team and that you are only as strong as the weakest link. Aaron Ferguson
For Current Year 10 Parents and Students...
Subject information is available in the following handbooks:
SSC P&F News
Last Friday! What a great night!
It was our inaugural P&F Connect. We had a fabulous turnout for our first event which was held at Zack’s Restaurant and Bar in the Burke and Wills Hotel. It was fabulous to meet some new parents and great to connect with those from other year levels that I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to meet.
Zack’s put on a fabulous little spread of food which we shared (Chicken Satay, Arancini, Salt and Pepper Calamari, Deep Fried Camembert were just some of the delicious morsels we got to eat). From all accounts, everyone had a great time. The connections were still going strong when Sean and I left the soiree around 9pm. I also take this opportunity to say thank you to Lisa for all the behind-the-scenes coordinating she did to help bring this together, it is greatly appreciated.
We have our next P&F meeting on Monday 15 March commencing at 6.30pm and one of the items on our agenda will definitely be the date for our next Connections evening. It would be great to catch up with everyone again and hopefully see some new faces.
We have the Open Day BBQ approaching and will be putting a call out in the next couple of weeks for some parent volunteers to assist with cooking, serving and selling of drinks on the morning. Please keep an eye out for that information when it comes through as we will happily enjoy the company of additional helpers.
Meanwhile, if you have any ideas for fundraising, a question or concern you need help with, please feel free to email us at SSCPF@concordia.qld.edu.au
Have a fabulous week ahead and we look forward to connecting with you soon.
Mrs Hazel Buckley
Chair, SSC P&F Committee
Sports News
Coaches in the Spotlight
This week, meet our track and field coach (teacher), John Mathews
Name: John Mathews
Role: HPE Teacher/Track and Field coach.
What are three words you’d use to describe CLC? Friendly, Caring, Encouraging.
Personal Background/Family: I grew up in Injune and came to Toowoomba for boarding school. I have two children, both are students at Warwick Street Campus.
Playing Background: Multiple Darling Downs teams for Cricket, Rugby and Cross Country. U/19 Qld Country Rugby, Member of the QLD Rugby Development Squad, Brothers Rugby League A Grade for five years.
Coaching Background: Darling Downs Track and Field coach for three years. Track and Field coach for around 10 years. Also coached Rugby and Cricket in the past.
Coaching Philosophy/motivation for coaching: Everyone deserves to have access to quality coaching, to achieve their goals and, most of all, enjoy sport.
What do you enjoy most about coaching: Seeing relationships develop between students and them working towards their goals. It’s a great way to get to know students and parents outside the classroom.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your sport? Track and Field is seen as boring and not sustainable. It is a lifelong skill and has a massive impact on other sports.
What’s your biggest training pet peeve? Lateness and forgetting about the big picture.
What’s something you saw recently that made you smile? It was an image of a girl competing in a track event with blades as her legs, it was great to see this type of inclusion.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would you choose? Maybe Will Ferrell!
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Multi-tasking.