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Throughout Term 3, staff will continue to be involved in various improvement planning processes for Concordia that focus on the needs of individual learners, and I encourage all parents and families to continue to work with us as key partners in the education of our students. We look forward to announcing and sharing a number of these wonderful initiatives with you as we prepare for the second half of the school year.

Concordia’s Vision Statement says that we are Inspiring lifelong learners, critical thinkers and caring citizens in a Christian community. So, how are we are making this happen at our College every day? Semester 1 at Concordia has seen school size being no barrier to success as we continue to punch above our weight in all areas of school life. Concordia has had many sport successes, Musical and Arts successes, authentic learning experiences, camps, excursions and incursions, NAIDOC Day celebrations and most recently the inaugural Recognition of Achievement Assembly to acknowledge those students in our College who bring their best effort to their learning programs every day. Please be available to read and celebrate with your student[s] their Semester 1 report by acknowledging their efforts, learning behaviours and then academic successes and growth achieved over the past 6 months. This is also the perfect time to talk about and set some learning goals for Semester 2.

Staffing arrangements for Semester 2:

Leadership Team staffing arrangements for Semester 2 will see Mrs. Jackie Minnikin taking Long Service Leave from Week 4 in Term 3 while I will be taking Long Service Leave from Week 2 in Term 4. During Jackie’s time away, Mrs. Juanetta Priest will be the Director of Junior College while Mrs. Rowie Weier [Warwick Street Campus] and Mrs. Kellie Maddock [Hume Street Campus] will take on the role of Acting Assistant Directors of Junior College to support Juanetta in this role. This arrangement will continue into Term 4 when Jackie, on her return, will be the Acting Head of College for the remainder of Term 4. It is very affirming that we have the capacity within our staff to fill and grow both Middle and Senior Leadership opportunities at Concordia.

What are you planning do as a family in the upcoming holidays? I am looking forward to spending some quality time with our children, their partners and our grandchildren over at Moreton Island during the break. Here are some things for us to avoid over the Winter break:

• Spending too much time in bed. Get a few sleep-in of course but try not to let it become a habit. Make the most of all the fresh air and the winter sunshine.
• Playing games all day. A few days of running around a battlefield or racing flashy cars is great, but don’t mistake it for real life.
• Spending all day online. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook etc. isn’t social life. Instead of only talking to friends online, go talk to them in person. Spending time with others makes our days fuller and richer.
• Turning into Homer Simpson. You know you’ve let things slide when you spend consecutive days in PJs, food in one hand and TV remote in the other.
• Just mucking around. When you go out, go somewhere nice. There are so many picturesque places to go to in and around Toowoomba. Don’t just hang around the shopping mall complaining there’s nothing to do. The internet and information centre have loads of information about things to do in Toowoomba and many of them are free.
• Buying stuff. Shopping is not a hobby. Spend your money on experiences too instead of more “stuff” that you don’t really need.
• Exercise. Use the break to stay fit for next semester’s sport season. Use this time to fine-tune and improve your skills in your chosen sport[s]. YouTube and the internet have loads of free coaching and playing drills.

Happy Holidays!

Thank you to those families who continue to use our strong open-door policy across all 3 campuses as we partner to ensure the best outcomes for every student in our care. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, and together we continue to achieve great outcomes at Concordia!

Have a safe term break.

Yours in Christ.

Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College

Quote of the week: Those who judge will never understand, and those who understand will never judge. [Wilson Kanadi]

The end of a semester is a time to take stock and reflect what went well, what challenges did come our way, what did we learn, what blessings were poured out upon us.

What new things have you learned about our world, about yourself, about your friends and classmates? What are you thankful for and how are you going to express that thanks?

Now, I am aware that sometimes things don’t go our way: we miss a crucial point in a game, we hadn’t prepared as well as we could and fluked that test, we didn’t quite achieve the mark we had hoped for in an assignment or maybe just missed out on an effort award. But this does not mean we are failures. It just means we missed a point in a game, we fluked a test, we didn’t quite get the result we wanted. This happens in life and is an opportunity to learn. CS Lewis put it this way: “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” Next time I will prepare more thoroughly, I might ask my teacher for feedback and help, I might train a little more - and see what happens. In my experience our efforts don’t always lead to the desired result, but without effort and application we cannot improve and grow.

So, failures are not the end of the road but learnings along the way, opportunities to grow, to find ways to get up and go again, to grow in resilience and perhaps better understand others who may be experiencing such things.

Always remember: in the end your value or worth is not tied up in how well we you in this test or that game but in the God who created you, who made you special, who gifted you with unique gifts that you’ll take lifetime to discover and develop, and who loves you so much that he was willing to put his life on the line so that you might have life, full, fulfilling, hopeful life (John 10:10).

And this loving God invites you now to take a time of rest, a break from the busyness and hard work, to be refreshed and recover and so prepare for the next term and semester, the next round of work and learning and growth. The prophet Jeremiah in the context of the Israelites in exile and exhaustion speaks these words of promise: I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (Jeremiah 21:25)

Have a restful and refreshing holiday, and may our Lord keep you safe until we meet again in Term 3!

God Bless.

Pastor Thomas Böhmert
College Pastor

Our College has had no shortage of media attention so far in 2023! We are extremely proud to have our students feature in local publications, radio shows and on television!

I also want to thank all those students and staff who have contributed to giving back through fundraisers and volunteering for local charities – it shows our college family really does lead by example. It was fun to see so many PJs as a fundraiser for Tony’s Kitchen. Next term you will have plenty more opportunities, starting with Jeans for Genes Day on August 8^th.

Sport, drama, music and agriculture programs are going from strength to strength at Concordia, it has been wonderful to be able to watch the students grow specifically in these areas. Next term lookout for opportunities to attend a solo concert, choral performance, or sporting match. Also be on the lookout for the agricultural students showing cattle at the nearby shows.

During the holidays, the marketing team will be planning for next term, one of the big events is “See You in September”. This new event will take place for a week from September 11th and will offer opportunity to view the college and its facilities, as well as meet teachers and members of the staff. It will help families see the authentic college environment and ask questions of both staff and students. As always, parents and carers are welcome to come and inspect any of our Concordia campuses on any school day of the week. If you would like to register your interest to visit one of the mornings of this week or you know friends who would, please send an email to Enrolments@concordia.qld.edu.au

I sincerely wish our staff, parents/carers and students a peaceful Holiday break and look forward to seeing you again next term!

Ms Belinda Sanders

Director of Marketing & Enrolments

Throughout the last fortnight all parents have had the opportunity to meet with classroom teachers at our Parent Teacher Interviews. We hope that during your time in these sessions you have been able to share in the learning journeys of your children. Our students have worked tirelessly throughout the semester and the showcase of learning that you have seen on Seesaw, and that you have discussed with teachers in the last week, is testament to this.

We would like to take this opportunity to recognise the efforts of the Junior College staff. The dedication and passion of this group of people never goes unnoticed and we thank them for all that they give to our students. At the end of this term we say a special thank you to Miss Fiona Collingwood for leading the Year 5 class at HSC this term. Miss Collingwood has been a valued member of our staff and we are sure she will continue to be around the Junior College in some capacity next term. The Year 5 class at HSC are looking forward to Mrs Cathryn Owen joining them after the holiday break. We also thank Mrs Jenn Hinz for her support with the HSC Prep class this term and we look forward to welcoming Mrs Sarah Kelley to Prep in Term 3. Today was also Mrs Karen Maben’s last day as our Junior College Library Assistant. We wish Karen all the best as she spends more time with her grandchildren. We will let the community know when we have appointed someone to this position.

As you will have seen in Mr Prinsloo’s article in today’s Week Ahead, Mrs Minnikin is looking forward to taking some Long Service Leave in Term 3. This leave will commence from Week 4. Mrs Priest will take on the role of Director of Junior College during this time, and will capably lead both Hume Street and Warwick Street Campuses. Mrs Priest will be supported by Mrs Weier at WSC and Miss Maddock at HSC for the remainder of Term 3 and all of Term 4 when Mrs Minnikin will return as the Acting Head of College while Mr Prinsloo is on leave.

As we wrap up school for another term, we wish all of our Junior College families a safe and restful holiday. We look forward to seeing you all ready to go again on Tuesday 11 July.

to view HSC's Events for Term 3, Week 1.
to view WSC's Events for Term 3, Week 1.

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

JC Year 6 SMART Leadership Day - Day 2

On Friday 14 July our Year 6 students will be attending day 2 of the SMART Leadership Program at the Koojarewon Youth Camp. Program activities will be led by Koojarewon Youth Camp staff.

• The program will commence at the Koojarewon Youth Camp at 9.30am;
• Activities will conclude at 1.45pm;
• Students will depart from their campus as below:
  • WSC Year 6 students will depart at 8.30am. Please ensure your student is at school by 8.15am;
  • HSC Year 6 students will depart at 8.45am.
• Students will be at their campus for a normal school day pick up.

Morning Tea and Lunch will be provided for the students. The cost will be covered by the Year Levy.

Students are required to:

• wear their sports uniform and College hat;
• bring:
  • a pair of old clothes and shoes to get dirty with a plastic bag to carry the dirty clothes and shoes;
  • rain jacket;
  • a water bottle;
  • sunscreen and insect repellent if needed.

PERMISSION REQUIRED:
Parents are requested to go to Parent Lounge to submit your permission by Friday 30 June.

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Our extra-curricular program has shone brightly this term, particularly in the realm of sports and the arts. Our sporting teams, including cricket, volleyball, netball, rugby League and basketball teams have exhibited exceptional teamwork and skill, making their mark in various competitions. Their unwavering commitment to training and their outstanding sportsmanship have truly made us proud. We have commenced training for our Track and Field team as they prepare to compete in the QCIS meet next term. As we move forward, Mr. Joshua Biscoe will be taking the reigns as sports coordinator. Mr. Biscoe comes from a background in sports management and was part of the team responsible for planning the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. I have no doubt he will continue to build on the fantastic momentum we have seen in our sporting program this year.

In the world of performing arts, our highly anticipated production of "We Will Rock You" was an absolute triumph. The exceptional talent showcased by our students in singing, dancing, and acting left the audience in awe. We commend the hard work and creative energy poured into every rehearsal, culminating in a sensational performance that will be remembered for years to come. Our Arts Department continue to mentor students and build there passion for expressing their creative and performance pursuits.

From an academic program perspective, a highlight for me this term has been the success of the Year 10 Preferred Futures and Year 9 Agricultural Studies courses. Both have been new additions this year and have seen students invest deeply in the opportunities beyond the school gate. Congratulations to the students and Mr. James Bishop and Mrs. Stacey Warrener respectively for their success in these programs.

As we gear up for Term 3, we have another line-up of events and activities awaiting our students. For our Year 12 students, mock exams will be a crucial component of their academic journey. These exams will provide invaluable practice and help them refine their skills, ensuring they are well-prepared for their final assessments. Furthermore, our Year 11 students will have the opportunity to attend the highly anticipated Leadership Camp at Luther Heights Coolum. This immersive experience will foster teamwork, personal growth, and leadership skills, equipping them with the tools needed to excel both within the college community and in their future endeavours.

Term 3 will also see the commencement of 2024 timetable planning, with current Years 8-10 students making choices about subjects for next year. To coincide with this, our Year 10s will undertake their Senior Education and Training (SET) planning interviews, which involves parents and students meeting with Ms. Leah Bowes and Ms. Jo-Ann Tessmer to discuss their pathways into the senior years and beyond.

In closing, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our students, staff, and parents for their unwavering support throughout Term 2. The achievements of our students would not have been possible without your encouragement and dedication. As we embrace the much-needed break, let us take pride in the remarkable accomplishments of our Concordia family.

Wishing you all a restful and rejuvenating holiday.

Yours in faith,

Mr Jamie Pukallus
Director of Campus

12 Years Boys

Issac Warrener – Javelin (19.73m) & High Jump (1.33m)

Devon Watson – High Jump (1.33m)

12 Years Girls

Maddison Callaghan – 800m (2:53.05), 400m (1:14.31) & Shot Put (7.93m)

14 Years Girls

Zoe Pietsch – 1500m (5:29.67), 800m (2:42.94) & 400m (1:04.57).

Zoe also made Nationals for QLD Club Athletics. Well done, Zoe, for an outstanding sporting achievement.

The sporting efforts of our students shone through once again at the QCIS cross country carnival, where we backed up our QCIS swimming carnival victory, with the percentage trophy and a second-place overall finish. We also had several students compete at the Darling Downs cross country trials, with Zoe Pietsch, Ellie Denning, Chloe Denning, Charlie Pietsch and Alistair Richards successful in making the team. These students will head to Hervey Bay to compete early next term. Also, early next term is the QCIS Athletics carnival and Darling Downs Athletics trials, which I am confident will bring more tremendous results for our students.

Reflective of students' dedication to their sporting endeavors, we had several students make other Darling Downs teams this term for their respective sports, including;

Rugby – Caitlin Wiggins and Aaron Ferguson.

AFL – Selina and Lisa Richards, Jorja Hollands, Andre Diem and Ralph Beadle.

Cricket – Issac and Ben Warrener, and Adam Armstrong.

Orienteering – Harry Allsop

Throughout the term, students have participated in various Gala days and weekly competitions. Our open boys joined forces with Faith Lutheran College to compete in the Darling Downs Rugby League competition and have been tracking along well. Depending on upcoming results, they will finish in the top four and play finals early next term. Our volleyball teams concluded their season in the final week of the term with our intermediate and senior girls' teams winning the bronze medal match and our intermediate boys going down narrowly in the gold medal match, claiming silver as a result. These teams will look to continue this success next term in the third season of the Toowoomba Volleyball Association competition. We also had some success in AFL with our junior girls winning the Darling Downs Gala Day, however unfortunately they were ineligible to continue to the next round. Our senior girls and junior and senior boys also competed in the competition and performed strongly.

Cricket posed as a real strength of our students and area of growth for the college with both the junior and senior boys victorious in the StreetSmart Cricket Gala Day. As a result, both teams qualified to progress to the next round, however unfortunately due to students being away at year 8 camp our junior team was unable to fulfil this opportunity. The senior boys fought valiantly though coming away with one victory and two losses (both only by 1 point) against some tough opponents. Our girls competed in the QCIS and Vicki Willson Netball carnivals and showed excellent improvement, with our juniors narrowly missing the finals at the QCIS carnival and finishing fifth of eleven at the Vicki Willson competition. Another sport on the up at Concordia! Lastly, our fourteen-year-old futsal boys played in the Summit Cup and went down to Mary Mackillop to exit the competition. They played well though and won the second half despite having three students from year six playing against much older and stronger opponents.

Looking forward to term three we have some exciting sporting opportunities coming up, including; the Swans schools cup Touch Football competition, season three of the Volleyball premier league, the Darling Downs Super Schools Rugby Union, QCIS and Darling Downs Athletics and the Red Lions Soccer gala day. If you are interested in any of these opportunities or want more information about sport, please contact Mr. Biscoe.

Two of our girls Kayshearna and Evie attended a State Age Netball Carnival at Pine Rivers. Departed at 4am and returned at 8.30pm this evening. These two girls are extremely good netball players and are certainly stamping a name for themselves. Well done ladies.

Volleyball Finals last night and Our Junior and Senior girls did very Well. Evie Yeatman receiving the MVP award for the Junior section and Kashar Bounghi MVP in the Senior section. Kashar’s team came away with a bronze medal for third place.

Pyjama Day today and everyone went off warm and comfy. Great participation from those students who went with their gold coin donation and colourful PJ’s.

Please have the reminder chats with your children prior to returning in Term 3 about having all clothing clearly named, no aerosols. Students who hold large sums of cash (over $20) do so at their own risk as the college take no responsibility if it goes missing. Please refer to the Boarder handbook.

Also, all leave must be in by Wednesday evening, this enables us to organise meals, transport, and staffing. There will be the occasion when this is not possible and a call to Andrew or myself will be ok.

Thank you to our Boarder captains and senior students who have stepped up to support in the Boarding houses. Thank you also to our Fabulous Tutors who tirelessly make themselves available to help and support students and staff. They give their time freely to attend external activities without hesitation.

By the time you read this edition your children will all be safely home, enjoying a sleep in and a family catch up along with some home cooked Favorite meals and treats. I will have landed in New Zealand and heading to the Hawkes Bay in the North Island to visit family members, Andrew will be back in Bundaberg enjoying the warmer weather. I say relax and ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY.

Take care when travelling, look after each other and keep smiling.

Mrs Maureen Taurima and Mr Andrew Bull
Boarding Houseparents