�鶹��ý

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to the start of Term 2. I trust that you have had a relaxing break as a family over the Easter holiday period. Thank you for your support in the transition of your student[s] back to school this week. 

As we have returned to school life this term without any of the significant restrictions and interruptions experienced over the past two years, I would like to warmly invite you to attend, visit and engage with the many opportunities and events which will be happening at Concordia throughout this term.

As we continue to unpack our school theme of “Imagine the Possibilities” this term, our focus will move from just imagining and just talking about the possibilities on offer every day, to begin embracing the many opportunities on offer at Concordia week in and week out. 

Anzac Day Services

Today, I had the opportunity to attend Anzac Day Services at all three campuses. What stood out for me was the very respectful and engaging behaviour which the student body brought to these services. It was also very affirming to see several parents in attendance at these services. As an immigrant to Australia, Anzac Day is again a timely reminder about the many blessings and exceptional quality of life which we wake up to in this country every day. Enjoy your Anzac Day celebrations and events this long weekend.

Welcome back to Term 2, hopefully a less disrupted one than Term 1! We hope and pray you had a restful holiday break and a joyful Easter celebration and start into the term with renewed energy and hope!

After remembering the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus last weekend, the key festival for Christians around the world, we are now heading straight into the remembrance of Anzac Day, an important date for our national identities in Australia and New Zealand.

We are remembering the sacrifices of those who fought in WWI and many other wars since protecting the democratic freedoms we tend to take for granted. While poppies have spilled over from Remembrance Day in November to Anzac Day, traditionally it was sprigs of rosemary that were worn for Anzac Day. Rosemary is a herb that grew in abundance on the Gallipoli peninsula and that has traditionally been credited with improving memory. It reminds us to recall, to remember those who paid the ultimate price defending our country and our freedoms, and to stand in unity in that remembrance. The past shapes the present and this act of remembrance acknowledges our past, it enables us to stand in solidarity with those who have gone before us and encourages us to take on their legacy, to appreciate, develop and defend our values and our community.

Last year, Pastor Nathan and I ran a Youth Alpha course for students of Concordia, which was well received. We are considering running another one of these courses.

It would involve a weekday (possibly Tuesday) evening from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Stephen Street Campus, with a tea supplied and then some discussion around the Alpha provided videos and some games. There are about 12 sessions and we would plan to offer it from mid Term 2 through Term 3, with a special event at the end.

If you are interested in your child (from Years 7 to 12) to come along, please indicate your interest by emailing Pastor Thomas (thomas.bohmert@concordia.qld.edu.au) by Friday 28 April 2022.

Thank you and God bless,

Pastor Thomas Böhmert
College Pastor

NAPLAN tests will be conducted in 2022. All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN tests. �鶹��ý will be conducting NAPLAN tests through online testing. The testing dates for Concordia are:

• Junior College: Monday 9 May to Thursday 12 May
• Middle College: Wednesday 11 May to Friday 13 May

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum. Concordia teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and will provide appropriate support and guidance. Practice testing has taken place for all students who need to undertake the NAPLAN testing in 2022.

NAPLAN tests are constructed to give students an opportunity to demonstrate skills they have learnt. NAPLAN tests give you information on how your child is progressing against national standards.

Concordia's 2022 Open Day is taking place on Saturday 14 May from 9.30am to 12.30pm. 

This is always a very special day on the College calendar when all three campuses come alive with activities, performances and tours to showcase the wonderful learning environment we have at Concordia.

This year, our promotions for Open Day are competing with a little thing called the Federal Election...

We want to make sure that as many families as possible come along to our Open Day, so we are asking for your help. Please let your friends and family know about our Open Day!

We know that recommendations and referrals (otherwise known as word of mouth) is one of the most powerful forms of marketing, so if you could help us, we would really appreciate it. 

We also hope that you, our current families, can come along to our Open Day this year. After a couple of years of limited interaction, it's a great opportunity to come in, take a look around and be part of what makes Concordia so special.

In terms of enrolments, our 2023 Prep classes (as always) are filling up quickly, so Open Day is a great chance for prospective families to come in for a look around before submitting an application. 

We're also in the process of conducting interviews for our Year 7 enrolments for next year, so if you know someone who is thinking about enrolling but hasn't gotten around to it, please let them know that now is the time.

Many thanks for your support of our wonderful school. Concordia really is a special place and we look forward to showcasing this to our guests on Saturday 14 May.

Parking spaces for the South Street side of Stephen Street Campus have been scarce for many years.

Teachers, students and visitors have, at times, been inconvenienced by the limited parking spaces right next to the campus.

After discussions with Mrs Sonya Holden, Year 10 student Lachlan Stenhouse has submitted a proposal to Mr Prinsloo to convert the old tennis courts located near Paech House (the previous girls’ boarding house on South Street) into a new car park for our College community.

Lachlan has reasoned that this carpark will make it significantly more convenient for members of the Concordia community, which accommodates students, teachers and parents as it will be able to house a significant number of cars.

Mr Prinsloo is now taking this proposal under consideration.

“I commend Lachlan for identifying the issue with parking on South Street and taking the initiative to find a solution,” Mr Prinsloo said.

The Year 4 Hume Street Campus and Warwick Street Campus students will be attending a three day camp from Wednesday 27 April to Friday 29 April 2022 at , Tallebudgera located at (Phone – 5507 0200).

The students will participate in a variety of activities suitable for their age and ability levels. The activities are designed for fun, experiential learning, personal development and building team skills.

Drop Off and Pick Up from HSC: We ask that parents drop their child at the Hume Street Campus (HSC) on Wednesday 27 April by 7.15am, for a 7.30am departure. The students will depart the Gold Coast Recreation Centre at 1.30pm, Friday 29 April and should arrive at HSC at approximately 4.30pm. Students can be picked up anytime after this. Parking for both the drop off and pick up will be on the sports oval.

Should you any further queries regarding this camp, please contact your child’s teacher.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum. Teachers have been working with students to ensure they are familiar with the test formats. Excessive preparation and discussion using the terms of NAPLAN is not useful and can lead to unnecessary anxiety.

NAPLAN test days should be treated as just another routine event on the school calendar. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program and to advise them to simply do the best they can on the day.

To help prepare your child on the day, please ensure they have a good night’s sleep, a suitable breakfast and arrive on time at school.

The JC Prep to Year 2 Track and Field Carnival will be held on Friday 29 April 2022 at Hume Street Campus. All students are to be dropped at HSC by 8.20am and will finish at approx. 12.30pm. WSC students will then return to their campus via College bus.

For more information please click on and .

On Friday 6 May, the Junior College Years 3 to 6 will be competing in the annual Track and Field Carnival at SSC. for a copy of the program.

We are also seeking Parent Volunteers to help out with Timekeeping and Check Starter on the day. If you are available and would like to help out in one of these rolls please submit your availability via the link below.

Welcome to Term 2! We hope you had a relaxing Easter break and stayed in good health. We are excited and ready to begin a new term full of learning and exciting opportunities. 

It is hard to believe that our Prep students are already into the second term of their first year at school. Even though we had a later start this year, they have settled into school life beautifully and are already making huge progress in their learning.

Tennis coaching will be held during Term 2. Click the relevant link below for further information:

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.

This year, the HSC P&F Committee will be having a Mother's Day Stall on Wednesday 4 May. The gifts will be $5.00 each and can be for Mums, Nannies/Grandmas or other special motherly role models in your family. Any children who are away on the Wednesday can select their gifts on the Thursday. 

For ordering purposes, please indicate if you are wanting to purchase a gift and how many you would like via the form below.

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you all had a restful break over Easter and were able to enjoy some family time. Traditionally, Term 2 is short and busy, and this term will be no different with many events occurring over the next nine weeks.

Tennis coaching will be held during Term 2. Click the relevant link below for further information:

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 8.

Please click on the link to register your attendance  

Our Mother's Day Stall will be held on Thursday 5 May. This year there will be both $5.00 and $10.00 gifts available to purchase.

Gifts - Your child/ren may like to purchase a present for Mums, Nannies, Grandmas or any other special motherly role models. Money will need to be brought to school on Thursday 5 May. Please place the money in an envelope marked with:  

• Child’s name
• Amount in envelope
• Number of gifts to be purchased

Welcome back to Term 2 for all of our community! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter break and was able to spend some much needed time connecting with family. Personally, it may be time to dust off the new year’s resolution to do some more exercise in order to burn off some of that chocolate and hot cross bun indulgence! 

Staff changes
In recent weeks we have had to say farewell to some of our wonderful staff as they take on new challenges and opportunities in the professional and personal lives. 

I wish to sincerely thank Ms Angela Sten (Head of Department, English), Mr Paul Edwards (Coordinator of Music Performance) and Ms Jessica Tobin (Student Counsellor) for their time, efforts and passion, and the mark that they have left at Concordia. We have been blessed to have each of these staff leading their respective areas, passing on their expertise and enthusiasm to our students.

We will now welcome some new staff into our College as the positions left vacant are being filled. Mr Adam Coutts will be joining us from next Tuesday to take on Ms Sten’s English class timetable. Ms Christina Marangelli will be starting as our new Coordinator of Music Performance from Monday 16 May. Christina has a wealth of experience in Music, and will be a strong asset to our College. 

Recruitment process is currently underway for the Student Counsellor position, and we hope to have an appointment in place as soon as possible. In the meantime, students have been encouraged to see their Year Level Coordinator, visit the Open Door, or see someone at Student Reception if they are in need of support.

A Very Short Film Festival 2022 is calling for short film entries for their 2022 competition. The signature theme is "Spring". The film needs to be two to five minutes in length. Entries close Monday 25 April. We encourage all budding young film makers and media arts students to get involved. For more details, see Ms Holly Kiehne or the posters around the campus. for more information or .

As you are all aware, �鶹��ý has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program for students in Years 7 to 12.

Under the BYOD program, all students are required to bring their own device for use in all classes. The has been created to explain how the program operates, set out expectations of parents and students and provide information about device minimum specifications. This handbook is available in Parent Lounge (School Links > Stephen Street Campus) and on the College's website.

The Inter-House Cross Country was held on the final day of Term 1. Congratulations to Altus who was the overall winning House on the day!

The Concordia Media Club met for the first time today. The students who have joined the club toured the Concordia Media Clubhouse that is located in Paech House, the old Girls Boarding House across the road on South Street.

The Concordia Media Club is designed for students with an interest in areas including video creation, media interviews, web design, copywriting and social media management.

We will be working on creating videos to share on the College Facebook page and YouTube channel as well as developing a website to showcase the content that is developed by the students.

This will be a hands-on, interactive experience for the students while providing them with an avenue to learn more about this exciting industry.

In addition to creating, they will also have the opportunity to meet local media personalities and work with lecturers from the University of Southern Queensland who specialise in this exciting industry.

We need your help!

Our Clubhouse is a little bare at the moment, so we are looking for the following furniture donations:

• Couches
• Armchairs
• Small table for 4 people + chairs (for a small space)

We also have a room that we are looking to fit out as a television studio and set for us to film news bulletins and talk-show styled videos. If you know of any businesses who would like to support this initiative through sponsorship, please contact Mrs Bianca Coleborn at bianca.coleborn@concordia.qld.edu.au.

Mrs Bianca Coleborn
Director of Marketing & Enrolments

Concordia's day students are now able to order boarder meals at Stephen Street Campus. 

Options available include:

• Hot breakfast before school: $7
• Hot boarder lunch served in the dining room: $7
• Afternoon Study Session + Supervision at Boarding House + Dinner: $20 

These options are all available to book using . For a quick video tutorial, please use the following link:  

In addition to boarder meals, we have casual boarding available for families. If parents or caregivers need to be away for family or work matters, or are dealing with extended work hours for a period of time, this is a great option for students. 

Casual boarding provides students with two study sessions from Monday to Thursday (before and after dinner) as well as six meals per day, secure accommodation in the boarding house and transportation to school sport commitments.

If you would like to discuss casual boarding further, please contact our Registar Michelle Price by calling 4688 2700 or emailing enrolments@concordia.qld.edu.au.

Hello to the boarding families,

We’re now well into the first week back for Term 2 and the students are settling in well. Although we’ve only just returned, we’re already into the swing of things with students involved in the Drama Club and music bands already resuming practice. We also have a few students competing and doing well in inter-school volleyball games.

The Senior students involved in apprenticeships have already resumed their work commitments and are excited to be learning and working in their relevant industries.

For this term, some of our boarding activities will be Sunday picnics, swimming pool afternoons, a Movie World trip, Ten Pin Bowling and a visit to the cinemas.

In the gallery below are a few photos of the first day back that I hope you enjoy.

Mr Andrew Bull
Boys' Houseparent