Concordia Lutheran College - Prospectus

SHARE OUR PASSION FOR

LEARNING

Concordia is a school of the Lutheran Church of Australia, with a rich history that spans 75 plus years, a strong sense of community and extensive educational opportunities for our students.

I am delighted to welcome you to Concordia Lutheran College.

We are a Christian community where God’s message of grace is proclaimed, and this guides how we teach, live and work together. Our progressive College community consists of a supportive and caring network of students, parents, staff, Old Scholars and friends of Concordia.

Our goal is to provide a quality education within a safe and happy learning environment. We are focused on the mind and heart, and believe in promoting the intellectual, emotional, physical, social and spiritual development of each student. After all, learning is at the heart of everything we do at Concordia.

Our College has a proud tradition of offering a quality coeducational day and boarding experience for both national and international students. Our purpose is to inspire our students to strive for academic

excellence, and to nurture their aspirations in a caring and vibrant educational setting.

Within the wider national and international community, the young people who study at Concordia are known to be self-directed, insightful, principled, confident and caring. Our aim is to develop these attributes in all our students, and to give them every opportunity to use their gifts and talents to make a positive contribution globally.

I invite you to explore our website to learn about Concordia’s innovative, forwardthinking philosophy and vision as well as our enduring commitment to our students. More importantly, come and visit us. I would welcome an opportunity to show you our College in person.

I look forward to greeting you as together we explore the many exciting opportunities that exist at Concordia Lutheran College.

Mr Anton Prinsloo Head of College

The Learning Journey

At Concordia Lutheran College, a vibrant community comes together to offer an outstanding education for each individual child. Our College is coeducational, inclusive, welcoming and friendly.

Learning is at the heart of everything we do.

Our learning frameworks are designed to make the most of the coeducational environment where boys and girls can work both together and separately, learning to value their differences and to develop cooperative understanding.

Kindergarten

At Concordia, we strive for every student to achieve their true potential. Students are empowered to see themselves as their own teachers and to have a thorough understanding of each stage of their learning journey.

Concordia Lutheran College Hume Street Kindergarten & Concordia Lutheran College Warwick Street Kindergarten

Junior College

Prep to Year 6

Hume Street Campus & Warwick Street Campus Outside School Hours Care

Middle College

Years 7 to 9

Stephen Street Campus

Senior College

Years 10 to 12

Stephen Street Campus

University / Vocational Training / Employment

Early Learning Kindergarten

From the earliest years, Concordia Lutheran College provides opportunities to develop each child socially, physically, spiritually and cognitively.

A Strong Foundation

At Concordia, we are fortunate to have Kindergartens located at both Junior College campuses. Our Hume Street Kindergarten and Warwick Street Kindergarten are operated by Queensland Lutheran Early Childhood Services (QLECS) and offer Queensland Government approved Kindergarten programs for children from three years of age.

The Kindergartens offer a choice of weekly structures with play-based learning activities, air-conditioned rooms and expansive outdoor play areas for children to explore. Being located onsite at our Junior College, they also provide a smooth transition into Prep.

Warwick Street Kindergarten

Located at our Warwick Street Campus, Warwick Street Kindergarten offers a well established, play-based early education program for children from their third birthday.

The emphasis of the Kindergarten is setting a strong foundation for children during their formative years to support their learning and development for a lifetime.

The Kindergarten operates from 7.30am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday.

The Kindergarten Education Program runs from 8am to 4pm daily, supporting our families with the flexibility of extended hours while giving our Kindergarten children the opportunity to participate in a high-quality Kindergarten program.

Warwick Street Kindergarten children enjoy plenty of opportunities to visit Concordia’s Warwick Street Campus, ensuring they experience a seamless transition to Prep.

Hume Street Kindergarten

Concordia Lutheran College Hume Street

Kindergarten has been providing a high quality play-based Kindergarten program since 2007 taught by a four-year qualified Early Childhood teacher.

Being located on the grounds of Concordia Lutheran College Hume Street Campus, we have a large natural outdoor environment for the children to explore, including bike track, mudpit, sandpit, swings and wide open spaces for children to investigate.

Our Kindergarten participates in a variety of College events such as Cross Country, Library, Assembly and Chapel. All providing a smooth transition into Prep.

Our Kindergarten operates three kindy programs:

• Monday and Tuesday: Kindy Two-Day Program

• Wednesday and Thursday: Kindy Two-Day Program

• Friday: Junior Kindy Program (for children who are three, the year prior to Kindy)

Our Kindergarten staff believe in fostering relationships with individual children in a gentle and secure setting to provide an easy transition between home and Kindy.

Junior College

Prep to Year 6

Concordia Lutheran College’s Junior College provides a nurturing and innovative environment for students in Prep to Year 6.

Junior College (Prep to Year 6)

In the Junior College, student learning is aligned with Australian Curriculum requirements and classroom learning offers rich and engaging content across a diverse range of subjects.

During these early years, our focus is on developing literacy and numeracy skills. We offer a choice of learning approaches to ensure all students learn at their own pace and develop a lifelong love of learning.

The Junior College utilises a specialised literacy program developed by Macquarie University with InitiaLit used in Prep to Year 2 and MultiLit used for literacy intervention in later years.

Our two Junior College campuses provide close-knit, supportive learning environments for our younger students who also enjoy opportunities to come together for joint activities and excursions.

Junior College Structure

Concordia’s extensive resources have enabled us to create specialised learning environments for our Junior College students. Our teachers and staff are equipped and resourced to offer challenging programs to ensure personalised attention for each student.

The Junior College is organised into two smaller learning communities, Hume Street Campus and Warwick Street Campus. Each campus has its own distinctive culture and characteristics underpinned by genuine Christian values and are responsive to the families and staff each supports.

Learning Outside the Classroom

We understand that not all learning happens inside the classrooms. Educational excursions are offered from Prep to Year 6 to enhance the curriculum and promote deep learning.

Students also enjoy enhanced learning opportunities through exciting incursions with visiting experts and specialist groups.

Outside School Hours Care

Concordia offers Outside School Hours Care at both campuses. This service provides Junior College families with support and peace of mind.

Students enjoy hands-on activities, homework support and time for play through this popular service.

Middle College Years 7 to 9

Built on rich academic foundations, our dedicated team of teachers and support staff instil in our students the importance of being lifelong learners, as well as proactive members of the community.

Transitional Years

Years 7 to 9 are transitional in every sense. Students in these years grow and change rapidly as they embrace new concepts and abstract thinking.

The Middle College at Concordia’s Stephen Street Campus is designed to support the specific needs of this age group, creating opportunities where students can explore with guidance, challenge with support and take on new responsibilities.

There is a smooth academic and social transition for students between Years 7 and 8 while in Year 9, students embark on The Rite Journey, a program that promotes personal growth, to prepare them for entry to Senior College.

Learning Enrichment is provided to students who require additional support as well as those who require extension of learning. Further opportunities for extension of learning are offered to students.

Concordia’s emphasis on teachers as mentors and our intensive pastoral care program are vital to healthy development through the Middle College years, which provides a critical link between the Junior College and Senior College.

Middle College Progression

As students enter Year 7, they work closely with a limited number of teachers, building up supportive relationships and the introduction of elective subjects.

As they progress to Years 8 and 9, our students are provided with further opportunities to explore their interests through a wider selection of electives.

At the end of Year 9, our students are fully prepared for the advanced learning they will undertake in the Senior College and beyond. Concordia prides itself on being able to nurture resilient, independent learnersan invaluable skill for school, university, and life outside formal education.

The Rite Journey

Throughout the Middle and Senior College years, Concordia students participate in a variety of activities that promote personal growth.

A major initiative is The Rite Journey which primarily takes place during Year 9. The framework of The Rite Journey includes seven stages to acknowledge and celebrate each student’s journey towards adulthood.

Parents, carers and mentors join together with the students for a series of events to recognise and celebrate their progress.

Senior College

Years 10 to 12

At Concordia, every student is fully known and cared for. Each one is seen as an individual with unique talents and an important contribution to make to the world around them.

Senior Curriculum

As students enter the Senior College, they are provided with a stimulating and supportive environment for the crucial final years of schooling.

Here they can pursue their unique interests as they select from a range of elective subjects that will prepare them for further study or employment.

With generally small class sizes and strong, positive teacher-student relationships, students in Years 10 to 12 are provided with every assistance and encouragement to achieve their best.

Broad Curriculum

Concordia is pleased to offer a broad curriculum to Senior College students with an extensive range of subjects available that students may study to receive an ATAR.

There is also a selection of Applied subjects available including Agricultural Practices, Hospitality Practices, Industrial Technology Skills and Sport and Recreation.

Concordia Graduates

Life at Concordia Lutheran College is about much more than gaining qualifications and preparing for tertiary education or employment. In these final years, students refine character, develop independent thought, take on leadership roles and consolidate the life skills that form the basis of our philosophy.

As they mature in these senior years, Concordia’s young men and women show the very positive outcomes of their coeducational environment - relating to each other with respect and appreciation while sharing challenges, experiences and their hopes for the future.

Our comprehensive coeducational approach gives students an exceptional preparation and the resilience to tackle the rigours of tertiary academic life or vocational pursuits within the diverse challenges of a rapidly changing global landscape.

Pastoral Care

Inclusive Worship & Shared Values

Concordia acknowledges that all students are created and loved by God no matter what their faith or cultural background is. Together we take part in regular times of worship as we share God’s love for us through his Son, Jesus Christ.

To become part of Concordia Lutheran College is to become part of a caring, Christian community where we reflect our values both in everyday life and in our service to others.

We uphold the values of respect for each person’s uniqueness, compassion for others, integrity, responsibility for our actions, commitment to gender equity and care for the earth.

Pastoral Care

Our comprehensive pastoral care program supports students’ personal growth as well as establishing an environment of love and mutual care where anti-social behaviour and harassment are clearly unacceptable. The behaviour management framework is both relational and restorative. This strengthens community.

All teachers take an active role in the pastoral care of our students. This, combined with strong staff-student relationships, our qualified counsellors and Pastoral Care and Ministry Teams, ensures there is always someone to talk to.

Community Service

At Concordia Lutheran College, we encourage students to use their God-given gifts and talents for the benefit of others. This means an important part of College life is to embrace the spirit of service.

Links with local service organisations help to extend our active partnerships in the Toowoomba area and beyond and we also open our hearts to the needs of the global community by raising funds for humanitarian causes.

Restorative Practices

We acknowledge that at times relationships breakdown and intervention is required to build, maintain and restore relationships. Restorative Practices is a recognised strategy that seeks to repair damaged relationships and helps students to build their capacity for self-regulation.

The pillars of an effective relational process are respect, repair, rebuild, restore. We apply clear and fair procedures to manage student behaviour in an environment that promotes faith, hope, justice and reconciliation.

At Concordia, we encourage individuals to develop their personal strengths and to become mature citizens of the world, confident in their abilities and compassionate towards others.

Boarding

Concordia Lutheran College began a long tradition of boarding in 1946 and today is home to boarders from across Queensland, interstate and overseas.

Learning in Residence

Our team of dedicated, professional teaching and support staff extend their expertise in personal learning well beyond the classroom.

Concordia’s Learning in Residence program offers students a dedicated after-hours study program to enhance their studies and boost academic outcomes.

All learners have access to ‘anywhere, anytime’ learning through devices that allow real-time collaboration, authentic feedback and application of classroom learning to deepen understanding.

A Sense of Family

Concordia Boarding maintains a healthy balance between achieving academic goals, social relaxation, spiritual awareness, youth activities and service to others.

Concordia’s boarders reside in one dedicated boarding precinct at our Stephen Street Campus with single gender boarding houses.

The two houses are joined centrally by a coeducational common room area where students can relax and enjoy social time together.

Leisure time has plenty to offer with sport and cocurricular activities, both onsite and externally. Most activities are coeducational and include excursions, camping weekends and community service projects. With caring, experienced houseparents and plenty of opportunities for shared activities, Concordia boarders develop a strong sense of family and connectedness in a truly modern, coeducational residential learning community.

Dedicated Support

Our high staff to student ratio and excellent pastoral care give the strongest levels of security and support, and new students quickly embrace the culture of genuine care for themselves and each other.

Residential Tutors are available both in the formal academic prep sessions and at times outside of formal study periods to assist students in their studies.

Outdoor Education

If asked, most students will mention their outdoor education experience as a special highlight of their time at Concordia Lutheran College.

Preparation for Life

Outdoor education as a tool for student development is embedded across the Junior, Middle and Senior learning journey at Concordia Lutheran College.

Our Outdoor Education Program has been designed to foster personal, spiritual and social development in our students.

Strategically delivered outdoor education experiences range from day camps to a four week experience that places students outside their comfort zone and stimulates personal growth.

Students emerge from their outdoor education experiences with new strengths, resilience, an enhanced sense of purpose, unshakable friendships, an understanding of the value of teamwork and a mature sense of their relationship with God.

Benefits of Outdoor Education

Outdoor education gives students the opportunity to learn outside the classroom and to cope with the pressures of life such as dealing with responsibilities, failure and success.

Students experience a bush lifestyle and time spent away from the comforts of home.

Other benefits include learning to appreciate their families, gaining a better understanding of self, making new friends, heightening acceptance of others, building confidence and developing new skills.

Four Week Outdoor Education Program

Each year, Concordia’s Year 9 classes spend four weeks at Googa Outdoor Education Centre, undertaking a program administered by teachers and outdoor education specialists.

There is an emphasis on physical tasks including hiking, orienteering, abseiling, rock-climbing, canoeing, gardening and jobs such as milking cows, cooking, cleaning and washing.

Each student’s mind and spirit is also exercised through initiative activities, problem solving games and periods of quiet reflection.

During the outdoor education experience, there are no radios or televisions, electronic devices, soft drinks or sweets. Students appreciate ‘getting away from it all’, making their own entertainment and enjoying the quiet of the bush.

The outdoor education experience is a compulsory element of the Year 9 curriculum at Concordia.

Cocurricular Pursuits

Participating in cocurricular activities enables students to explore their individual gifts and talents and helps to build confidence and self-esteem.

The Arts

From the earliest splashes of colour to preparing for a career in The Arts, Concordia offers students a rich range of curricular and cocurricular opportunities that develop confidence and encourage creative potential.

We have a strong cultural tradition which has fostered the careers of national and international actors, musicians, opera singers and conductors.

Explore the sounds of music in our bands, jazz groups or string ensembles, sing in a choir, perform in the College musicals or become part of a music tour group.

Regular performance opportunities and competitions help build student confidence. There are opportunities to learn through performing and workshopping with nationally-renowned performance artists and educators.

In the Junior College, parents and friends help prepare family cultural events and bring diverse artistic talents to complement professional tutoring.

Activity choices vary across each campus but everyone has a chance to join in, have fun and explore possibilities. We strive to discover and nurture the hidden talents of our students.

Sporting Activities

Sport for the pure joy of it, exercise for the health of it, competition for the thrill of it –Concordia students enjoy many activities while, at the same time, developing resilience, teamwork and tenacity.

Concordia has a range of competitive and social sports on offer to students. The Concordia All Stars Basketball teams play in two local competitions and Rugby Sevens, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Futsal, Netball, Volleyball and Equestrian has been introduced for boys and girls. We also have Championship winning Cricket teams and we are the home of the CLC Turbo Jets Regional Swimming Champions.

We believe that participation in sport can build character. Team spirit results when members play hard but fair, agreeing to be self-disciplined and courteous, playing within the rules and respecting authority and opponents.

A variety of sport programs is offered before, during and after school. Opportunities are available for students to try out for regional and state representation as well as Queensland Lutheran School competitions. In addition, tennis, chess and swimming lessons are provided by qualified coaches.

Agriculture

Concordia is currently offering Agricultural Practices to the Year 9 and 10 students at the college. Each year this will be expanding until Years 7-12 will have the opportunity to engage in learning through Agriculture. Being a Kindy-12 college, the younger students will also be engaged in activities with the Agricultural Department, enhancing their rich learning in the Ag space.

Agriculture (food and fibre production) focuses on investigating managed environments, such as farms and plantations. Students learn about the

processes of food and fibre production and investigate the sustainable supply of agriculturally produced raw materials. Students develop deep knowledge and understanding about managed systems that produce food and fibre through designing and producing solutions.

Students are provided with the opportunity to investigate the importance of Australian agricultural production to our society and gain a broad understanding of some of our main agricultural industries including beef, sheep, poultry, pork, cropping (wheat) and horticulture.

A Vibrant Community

Concordia is more than just a school – it is a caring, collaborative community where members feel supported and valued.

A Caring Environment

There is something truly special about Concordia. Our community is known for being inclusive, hard working, kind and compassionate.

Our families love that Concordia is not elitist. This is a happy, down-to-earth community that is devoted to nurturing each individual student holistically.

At Concordia, everyone belongs and every student is known both as a learner and as a person.

As a coeducational school, Concordia offers a rich relational experience of learning to students who benefit greatly from learning to understand each other socially and growing together, side by side.

Learning at the Heart

We encourage everyone in our College community to be lifelong learners and to see life as a learning journey.

At Concordia, it’s ok to make mistakes – this is regarded as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Here is a place where you can be yourself, follow your heart and pursue your individual interests with support and encouragement.

Our College Leadership has a clear opendoor policy underpinned by transparent conversations and strong working relationships with all members of our College community.

Deep Connections

There are plenty of opportunities for families to be involved in our College community.

We have regular events such as Oktoberfest Family Day, Grandparents’ Days, Awards nights, sports carnivals and Performing Arts exhibitions that enable our families to be involved in school life.

Our Parent Connect groups are dedicated to developing genuine relationships between parents and caregivers and offer new families a great way to meet new people in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Concordia community!