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Our school community continually shows great energy for learning and care for each other, with college pride regularly celebrated in a range of authentic contexts. Our Vision Statement of Inspiring Lifelong Learners, Critical Thinkers and Caring Citizens in a Christian Community continues to drive and be at the forefront of our daily decision-making processes. Semester 1 at Concordia has again 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 sports successes, Musical and Arts successes, authentic learning experiences, camps, several excursions and incursions and most recently our Lion Heart Awards Effort assemblies this week to acknowledge those students in our College who bring their best effort to their learning every day.

Your students’ Semester 1 report will also be made available to you in the coming days. 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. Please bring any conversations and questions regarding their Semester 1 journey to the Student, Parent and Teacher Conversations [interviews], which will be held on the first day back next term.

With the extra week affording you a decent and well-earned mid-year break, I thought to focus on some school holiday tips and pitfalls for all of us to have a great Winter school break.

• Plan for Rest and Routine: Aim for a balance between rest and routine. Try to maintain some regularity in wake-up times and meals, especially in the week before transitioning back to school.
• Embrace the Weather: Rug up and enjoy winter activities such as visiting local parks, galleries or museums, with many offering winter school holiday programs.
• Prioritise Connection: Use the slower pace to reconnect as a family—games nights, shared meals or day trips. Try “tech-free” blocks of time to be fully present with each other.
• Encourage Creativity and Independence: Let the children lead some activities like building, baking, crafting, and reading. Remember that boredom can breed creativity. Don’t feel pressure to constantly entertain.
• Keep it Simple: Avoid over-scheduling. A quiet holiday can still be fulfilling.

Some pitfalls to avoid include:

• Overscheduling: Too many activities can lead to tired kids and parents! Leave space for spontaneity and rest.
• Screen Time Overload: It’s easy to default to screens. Set and negotiate healthy boundaries.
• Comparing to Others: Avoid the trap of comparing your family’s holidays to what others post on social media. Focus on what works best for your own family.
• Forgetting to Prepare for the Return: In the final days, gradually reintroduce school routines—bedtimes, packing bags, checking uniforms—to avoid a stressful first morning back. [Acknowledgement: Smart Parenting]

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. The adage of it takes a village to raise a child certainly rings true.

Have a safe term break.

Yours in Christ

Mr Anton Prinsloo
Head of College

Quote of the Week:

"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths." [Etty Hillesum]

Holidays provide a good opportunity to pause, look up, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives, even amid challenges and busyness. It’s a good practice to actually name these good things and blessings, be they great or small, and then hear the invitation to recognise and give thanks to the giver of all good things. St Paul encourages us with these words from his letter to the Philippians: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil 4:6).

I guess taking some time out to stop and reflect, to give thanks and place our struggles in God’s hands, can help us gain perspective, calm our rushing minds, and give us new energy or clarity for whatever lies ahead.

I certainly pray that you may find some moments to do just that over these holidays and find refreshment and strength in the knowledge of God’s unending care and love for you.

Just a reminder that we conclude the term with our Walk My Way event, which links us to many other Lutheran communities across Australia in supporting refugee children in camps in Africa and Asia to be able to attend school. Your support is greatly appreciated, and I believe this is also an opportunity to reflect on the blessings we have simply by living in this wonderful country of ours and perhaps share a little of our gifts with those in need. The website for donations will remain open through the holidays, and at the start of next term, we will announce the House winner, who sent the most children to school. Here is the link again.

Wishing you all a restful and refreshing holiday.

God bless!

Thomas Böhmert
College Pastor

Our Open Evening Twilight Tours were a hit, helping new families see what makes our College so special. The Concordia agricultural team made us proud, showing their talents at local country shows. Plus, there are the camps, excursions, sporting events and success. Just brilliant! Our students are getting out there and learning beyond the classroom – exactly what we love to see.

Oktoberfest

Term 3 promises more excitement. Save October 25 for our big Oktoberfest celebration! It’s not just about pretzels and sausages; it’s a fun day celebrating the German culture and our community, so jot it down! We're also heading to the Boarding Expo in Narrabri – a great opportunity for new families to connect with us.

If you’re an Old Scholar, we’d love to hear from you and see you at Oktoberfest!

College Tours

Tours of the school aren’t going anywhere, and we’re buzzing to show you the progress on our Master Plan. The Junior Learning Centre (Stage 1) at South Street is coming along beautifully, and you’ve got to check it out. With interest in our primary years going through the roof, it’s best to get in touch soon to secure a place so you don’t miss out.

Enjoy a well-deserved holiday break everyone. Recharge, have fun with your family and friends and get ready for another term of incredible opportunities and achievements.

We look forward to seeing you all in Term 3.

Warm regards,

Ms Belinda Sanders
Director of Marketing & Community Engagement

This week, Semester 1 reports were sent home. These provide a valuable overview of each student’s learning and progress over the past two terms. We would like to acknowledge the achievements of all our students—it has been a pleasure to watch them grow and learn. A reminder that our Parent Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Monday 14 July and bookings can still be made via Parent Lounge. We hope that during your time in these sessions you will be able to share in the learning journeys of your children. Our students have worked tirelessly throughout the semester and the work samples that you will see on Seesaw in the coming days, showcases this.

We must give a huge shout out to Mr Fry after another successful Years 3-6 Track and Field Carnival on Wednesday. It was an excellent day filled with enthusiasm, effort, and incredible sportsmanship from all students. Congratulations to Altus for taking home the trophy this year and well done to all who participated and cheered on their peers. Our Age Champions from this carnival will be announced early next term.

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.

Finally, we wish all our families a safe, restful, and enjoyable winter break. We look forward to welcoming students back for the start of Term 3 on Tuesday 15 July.

to view HSC's Events for Term 3 2025, Week 1.
to view WSC's Events for Term 3 2025, Week 1.

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

We are excited to share that our Year 5 students will be participating in the Toastmasters Youth Program, a world-renowned platform designed to help young people build confidence, develop leadership skills, and become effective communicators—all in a fun and supportive environment!  Introducing Year 5 students to Toastmasters can build foundational leadership skills that they can use throughout their academic and social lives.

The college will cover the cost of this program for our students. The skills learnt will then enhance their leadership applications and speeches later in Term 4.

We look forward to being able to share this program with the whole group.  For more information about the program, .

Our Agriculture program also continues to grow, with students learning a wide range of skills through immersion within our local agricultural community. It has been very encouraging seeing students get heavily involved in opportunities like our Cattle Show Team, where they have very quickly learnt the ropes in their first year.

A big congratulations also to Kessler House for their victory at our recent SSC Track and Field Carnival! It was great to see so many students competing and cheering their peers throughout the day. We now look forward to supporting our athletes as they go off to prepare for the QCIS Interschool Carnival, where they will attempt to defend their trophy title from last year. We wish them every success!

Looking ahead to Term 3, it is promising to be another rewarding and busy term. We have three great camps planned that will offer unique learning and bonding experiences for our students. Our Year 8s will be heading to Lake Moogerah, the Year 10s will enjoy the beach setting of Burleigh Heads, and our Year 11 students will head to their Leadership Camp at Luther Heights, Coolum.

Finally, a reminder to families that Semester One report cards will be distributed next week. The reports provide important feedback on your child's progress and achievements to date this year. As an early preview of our students’ success, we have recognised students this week who have displayed commendable effort throughout their studies at our Lionheart Awards ceremony. Well done to all of these students.

Our second opportunity for Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews will be held on Monday, 14 July. Booking details will be released shortly with the issuance of report cards.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. I hope all of our students and families have a safe and restful break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another successful term!

Yours in faith

Mr Jamie Pukallus
Director of Campus

Rugby League - Round 8

A highlight of this term is our weekly Friday gym and pool sessions, which continue to be a favourite among the boarders. These afternoons and evenings provide a fantastic outlet for students to unwind after a busy week of academic and extracurricular commitments. The gym is always a hive of activity as our students engage in fiercely competitive basketball skirmishes (all in good fun, of course), showcasing their skills and teamwork, as well as practising skills for their own chosen sports. Have I been of any help to the volleyball students…that remains to be seen. More recently, pickleball has taken centre stage, quickly becoming the new favourite pastime to play with Nic. I’m unsure of his success, though. Who knew a game with such a silly name could get so intense!

The real chaos unfolds at the pool. The dive competitions have sparked some impressive (and not so impressive) displays of courage and creativity. Staff are often treated to a good laugh-especially Nic, who nearly has a heart attack every time someone floats a little too still! These sessions have brought so much laughter, connection, and joy to the end of each week (and probably a few grey hairs to Nic).

It has been wonderful to see students of all year levels getting involved, building connections, and staying active in a fun and supportive environment.

Looking ahead to Term 3, our senior students will begin to reflect on their boarding journey as they prepare for their final weeks with us. There is growing excitement around the upcoming formal, with plans for dresses and suits already underway. This time marks a significant milestone, both a celebration and a moment of reflection, as our Year 12 students start to consider the path beyond school. The entire boarding community is feeling that excitement, knowing that it is nearly over and staring to more seriously contemplate where too from here.

As always, the wellbeing of our boarders is at the heart of everything we do, and we really appreciate your ongoing support and trust; it means a lot to us.

We wish all our families a safe and restful break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another enriching term.

Till next term, enjoy your family time, look after each other and stay safe.

The Boarding team

Maureen

Boarding Coordinator