Dear Parents and Caregivers

I can hardly believe that this week’s edition of The Week Ahead will bring us to the half-way mark for Term 1. So much has already happened in the short period of time which the students have been back at school. 

Both the students and staff must be commended on how they have adjusted to several events continuing in an online platform. This past week we received the wonderful news that masks will no longer be mandatory at schools from Monday 7 March and that parents and caregivers can once again access school life. 

The lifting of restrictions will allow for the ongoing growth of the quality working partnership which we endeavour to achieve with every family. Details regarding these new arrangements will be made available to you once they become available from the State Government in the coming days.

This week’s Chapel explores the story of the Samuel, the prophet, who came to live with Eli the priest as a young boy to learn to be a priest and become a leader in Israel. His name means “God heard” – and he was given this name by his parents who had pleaded with God for a child through many years of childlessness.

Samuel (you can read the story in 1 Samuel 3:1-10) heard God calling him – and it took the much older and more experienced Eli to recognise what was happening. From this initial call, Samuel grew up into prophet and leader of his people. He truly “heard God”, even as he himself was an answer to the prayers of his mum, which God heard…

You're invited to attend the inaugural International Women's Day High Tea taking place at the Concordia Function Centre on Tuesday 8 March from 5.30pm to 7pm.

Enjoy a delicious range of savories and sweets prepared by our professional chefs, along with an assortment of gourmet teas, coffee and juice. You will also receive a gift bag on arrival.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for school-aged students. Tables of 10 are available for $250.

It's been great to see a an excellent response to this event with half of the available seats already sold! If you'd like to join us, please make sure book your tickets as soon as possible by clicking this button. Ticket sales close on Friday 4 March, if not sold out sooner.

On Monday 14 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. 

Congratulations to the 30 Concordia students that competed at the Toowoomba Central Zone Swimming Trials at The Glennie School on Wednesday 16 February 2022. This year's carnival had a different format, with many new restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.

It was an impressive effort by all our athletes with many achieving new personal best times. We had many CLC students qualify in over 50 individual events. These students will compete at the Darling Downs Regional Swimming Championships on Wednesday 2 March 2022 in Gatton. Selected students from the Central Zone Swimming Team will also represent Concordia at the QCIS 10-19 Yrs Swimming Carnival in Dalby on Wednesday 9 March 2022. Great work to all involved in preparing our swimmers and congratulations to those students who put in the individual effort in their training.

Thank you all for assisting your children to settle into 2022 as smoothly as they have. Apart from a few tired preppies, everyone has settled in and classes are running well. If you ever have any concerns about anything in your class, please do not hesitate to contact your classroom teacher. Emails are the best way to communicate as we check them everyday. Calling our Reception is also a great way to get a quick message to the teacher.

HSC Campus Photos – Monday 28 March
Our Campus Photos are scheduled for Monday 28 March. 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 Concordia Lutheran College, photos of siblings will be taken in the Hume Street Campus Hall between 8am and 8.15am on photo day. If you would like family photos please collect an envelope from the Campus Reception.

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. 

At HSC, tuckshop is held on a Thursday. All orders are to be completed online at My Student Account by 3pm each Wednesday. Please notify Reception by 9am on Thursday if your child is absent and we will cancel their order. 

Please note: Week 9 is the last week of Tuckshop.

Tennis coaching will be held during Term 1. Click the relevant link below for further information:

• Prep
• Years 1 to 6

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 myprofilepage.com.au 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 Friday 18 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.

Mrs Bianca Coleborn will once again be running Touch Training on Wednesdays from 11am to 11.30am for students in Years 5 & 6. Students will eat their lunch and then meet Mrs Coleborn on the oval grandstands at 11am.

Hi, my name is Andreas Elms and I love Drama! 

I am very excited, as this year I will be joining the Concordia family, teaching Speech and Drama, and coordinating the brand new drama clubs for the Junior College campuses. We have called them "Drama Squad - Hume Street" and "Drama Squad- Warwick Street". 

I have been teaching drama and working with young people in the creative arts for many years and I can't wait to start working with the Concordia students through drama games, improvising, vocal activities, poems, plays, skits and building confidence along the way. 

The Speech and Drama lessons will take place during the school day, where the students can work together in pairs or on their own. The Drama Squad is Wednesdays from 7.30am-8.30am at Warwick St and Fridays from 7.30am - 8.30am at Hume St.

If you would like your child to join the Drama Squad and or speech and drama lessons, please feel free to contact me. 

Our HSC Student Council began meeting this week. As a 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.

• Lots of Socks – 14 March. Concordia Lutheran College is very proud to support an inclusive education. Lots of Socks is a Crazy Sock Day in support of Downs Syndrome. This will be a day where the students will be able to wear crazy socks and if possible, bring a gold coin for Downs Syndrome Australia.
• Bully No Way Day – 18 March is a day where we have intentional chapel/assembly focus on what bullying is and how being a great friend is important. We invite your child to wear something orange to celebrate. This could be a shirt, shorts, hair ribbon etc.

We love our Parent Reps and 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 – Kendra Hopper
Year 1 –
Year 2 – Nicole Brownlie
Year 3 –
Year 4 – Tegan Charchar
Year 5 – Sasha Dolley
Year 6 –

Letter of Welcome to Parent Representatives

Interviews for Prep 2023 will begin soon. Don’t forget to ensure your 2023 Prep student is enrolled. If you have friends who need more information, please let them know to give us a call.

If you were fortunate enough to receive a Free Plant Voucher with your rates notice this week and do not want this voucher, we would love to collect it. Our students are always looking to extend our planting program and these vouchers can help us considerably. We currently have about 40 bushes/trees to plant in the coming weeks as a result of this program 2021.

When the going gets tough the tough get going! Even though WSC has had a few challenges over the last couple of weeks, we have worked together to make it through. 

Thank you to parents, students and staff for your resilience in the face of these challenges. It is wonderful to know that our community is there to support each other. We look forward to the weeks ahead when we can get back to normal school life.

WSC Campus Photos – Wednesday 16 March
Our campus photos are scheduled for Wednesday 16 March. 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 Concordia Lutheran College, 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, please collect a family photo envelope from Reception prior to photo day. 

Tennis coaching will be held during Term 1. Click the relevant link below for further information:

• Years 1 to 6
• Prep

Mrs Bianca Coleborn will once again be running Touch Training on Thursdays from 12.45am to 1.30pm for students in Years 5 and 6 at Stephen Street Campus. 

Interested students should meet Mrs Coleborn in the playground at the beginning of lunch and bring something to eat during the walk across to Stephen Street Campus.

At WSC, Tuckshop is held on a Wednesday. All orders are to be completed online at My Student Account 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.

Hi, my name is Andreas Elms and I love Drama! 

I am very excited, as this year I will be joining the Concordia family, teaching Speech and Drama, and coordinating the brand new drama clubs for the Junior College campuses. We have called them "Drama Squad - Hume Street" and "Drama Squad- Warwick Street". 

I have been teaching drama and working with young people in the creative arts for many years and I can't wait to start working with the Concordia students through drama games, improvising, vocal activities, poems, plays, skits and building confidence along the way. 

The Speech and Drama lessons will take place during the school day, where the students can work together in pairs or on their own. The Drama Squad is Wednesdays from 7.30am-8.30am at Warwick St and Fridays from 7.30am - 8.30am at Hume St.

If you would like your child to join the Drama Squad and or speech and drama lessons, please feel free to contact me. 

Wow – how fast is this term going! Already we have hit the halfway mark of term, and the school year has quickly hit full stride.

As predicted in last’s weeks article, our Year 10 students have done themselves and the College proud in their work experience placements this week. 

I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of our students across a variety of vocations. It has been fantastic hearing about the opportunities and experiences our students have been given by our gracious network of employers. From assisting with surgeries at veterinary clinics to assisting with company marketing strategies, our students have truly tasted the realties and rewards of their chosen field. 

The feedback from both the students and employers has been overwhelmingly positive and continues to reaffirm the importance of the work experience program. I wish to thank Ms Jo-Ann Tessmer and Ms Leah Bowes for their efforts and hours of work coordinating the work experience placements and assisting with workplace visits. 

Full speed ahead! Five weeks until the end of term.

Our boarding houses have been buzzing this week with students coming and going to various sports and training sessions, School based traineeships and our Year 10 with work experience.

Not forgetting DD trials and trips to Brisbane for selective AFL and ABA games.

As our students have busy afterschool schedules, we are keeping a close eye on their eating habits. Missing meals and filling up on non-nutritional snacks is not advisable. Please remind your child to eat the meals prepared by our kitchen staff. There is always plenty of fresh fruit around for those who want a little extra.

For those who are not sports minded, Choir and Drama Club have started with morning and afternoon practices starting this week.

To all our new parents, thank you for choosing Concordia Boarding for your child as we in boarding find them all an absolute delight to look after and mentor. They definitely liven the boarding houses up! Personalities are starting to surface as confidence is growing. The boys, in particular, are definitely feeling a lot more comfortable as the days and weeks go by.

Those who are struggling with the transition into boarding are being supported and encouraged by our wonderful staff and teachers and most of all with your support. Any concerns please feel free to call Andrew or myself.

I have a few photos this week that I hope will be enjoyed by all. 

Take care and stay safe.

Ms Maureen Taurima
Houseparent