Prospectus of Concordia Lutheran College Toowoomba - With one heart

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‘WITH ONE HEART’ IS CENTRAL TO OUR PHILOSOPHY It is also the best way to describe the warmth, empathy, enthusiasm and sense of united purpose that connect all those who are part of our college community.

Welcome to Concordia Lutheran College. Discover a contemporary education, founded on tradition and Christian faith, which nurtures the potential of every student, from the Early Years to Year 12.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE EMBRACE EACH UNIQUE CHILD

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. Every student is special and is seen as an individual with unique talents and a unique contribution to make.

Spread across three attractive campuses in the beautiful garden city of Toowoomba two hours west of Brisbane, Concordia Lutheran College encourages individuals to develop their particular strengths and to become mature citizens of the world, confident in their abilities and compassionate towards others.

Redlands Campus, Martin Luther Primary Campus and Concordia Primary Campus combine to form a united College that offers boarding from Year 7.

In our Christian, coeducational environment, students develop healthy, respectful relationships in a context that reflects the diversity of life’s experiences. Many parents appreciate that brothers and sisters can attend the same school, strengthening family bonds and simplifying daily family life.

Our reputation is not only built on academic success but also on our ability to bring out the best in each young person.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE LIVE THE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT 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.

Inclusive worship Concordia welcomes students of all faiths and cultural backgrounds as children of God. Together we take part in regular chapel worship and prayer in order to grow in our relationship with God and each other.

Shared values We uphold the values of respect for each human being’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 have training in a recognised pastoral care framework.

This, combined with strong staffstudent relationships, our qualified counsellors and Pastoral Care Ministry Team, ensures there is always someone to talk to.

LEARNING PROGRAMS Our curriculum offers all students a broad educational experience.

Thorough teacher planning enables students at all levels to be involved in relevant, interesting, engaging and challenging learning. In this way our College curriculum empowers and challenges our students and enables them to develop confidence and resilience.

Our focus on literacy and numeracy is the foundation of curriculum and our innovative learning programs help each student to reach his or her academic potential – this is demonstrated in our strong scores in external tests at various levels. At the same time, our flexible pathways acknowledge and foster vocational and practical talents.

Concordia seeks to provide each girl and boy with a rich range of stimulating and challenging learning programs across all learning areas.

Effective coeducation involves a vibrant

student life enriched by mixed and single-gender experiences within and beyond the classroom. It requires teachers who are cognisant of gender issues in their teaching styles and their subject matter. It involves school organisation which models women and men in leadership positions and it fundamentally commends learning as a multi-faceted endeavour in which female and male students and teachers are mutually engaged.

Equipped for tomorrow Our constantly updated learning program is fully supported by the latest computer technology and exceptionally well-equipped resource centres.

We operate in the current Windows environment with wireless networks and cloud computing. Concordia students are encouraged to integrate their information technology skills into core tasks such as researching, designing, creating and communicating.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE OPEN MANY DOORS

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE DEVELOP MANY SKILLS SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS Sport for the pure joy of it, exercise for the health of it, competition for the thrill of it – Concordia students enjoy many activities and at the same time develop resilience, teamwork and tenacity.

Students choose from an extensive range of sporting options. Focus sports of athletics, basketball, netball, rugby league, soccer and volleyball are offered. Other competitive sports of futsal, cricket, swimming, cross country, rugby union and AFL, noncompetitive archery and cycling as well as recreational ten pin bowling and gym fitness provide opportunities for all levels of fitness and commitment.

We have outstanding training facilities and participate

in local, regional and state competitions.

The emphasis is on teamwork and building confidence as well as on enhancing individual achievement.

Away from the classroom, excursions, camps and environmental activities across all year levels are also an important way to enjoy outdoor pursuits and develop a relationship with the natural world.

Ballon Outdoor Education Centre Concordia Lutheran College has its own outdoor education centre, 55 kilometres from Chinchilla, where Year 10 students undertake a one‑month program with activities like high ropes, abseiling, rock climbing, bushcraft, map-reading and canoeing.

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

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE CREATE MANY POSSIBILITIES 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 College musicals or become part of a music tour group. Experiment with unique creations and textile design, using traditional and contemporary art techniques under the guidance of a practising artist. Create a masterpiece for our highly regarded Art Exhibition

or rehearse for a role in our latest dramatic production.

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

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

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE NURTURE EARLY POTENTIAL PRIMARY AND EARLY LEARNING Concordia is a College for the whole family and for every stage of learning.

Early Years Many children are first welcomed to our College family at the Martin Luther Community Kindergarten or the Concordia Lutheran College Early Childhood Centre. These facilities are an integral part of the College with linked educational programs, yet having their own areas within the spacious grounds. The foundation of our respect for individual needs and our nurturing care comes from our belief that each child is a unique gift from God. A choice of primary approaches Martin Luther Primary Campus and Concordia Primary Campus come together to form Concordia Junior College. These two facilities, both in delightful garden settings, offer

a choice of learning approaches to ensure all children progress at their own pace and consolidate core literacy and numeracy skills. The curriculum, aligned to Australian curriculum requirements, offers rich and engaging content, including a strong science and technology component. Test results consistently rank Concordia above State and National averages.

From the earliest years, we provide opportunities to develop each child socially, physically, and cognitively.

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

With loving pastoral care, with fun, with new experiences, children enjoy these precious years, develop a sense of belonging and build confidence in their abilities.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE BUILD MANY STRENGTHS MIDDLE COLLEGE The middle years of schooling are transitional in every sense. Students from Years 7 to 9 grow and change rapidly as they embrace new concepts and abstract thinking. During this time they become more aware of their place in the world through experimentation with personal stances and redefinition of relationships.

The Middle College at Redlands Campus is designed to accommodate the specific needs of this age group, creating learning situations where students can explore with guidance, challenge with support and take on new responsibilities, enjoying themselves in the process.

There is a smooth academic and social transition between Years 7 and 8.

Year 9 students develop independent learning skills which recognise different learning styles.

In purpose-built facilities, students embrace new electives in addition to core subjects.

The College’s emphasis on teachers as mentors and our intensive pastoral care program are vital to healthy development through the Middle College years. The evolving needs of individuals are responded to with caring, firm and understanding guidance by the teaching team and a qualified ministry team of specialist advisors and counsellors.

During these three formative years, as they prepare for the transition to Senior College, our emerging young adults develop positive attitudes, lasting life-skills and new confidence in who they are.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE FORGE OUR FUTURES SENIOR COLLEGE Our Senior College, Years 10 to 12 at Redlands Campus offers a stimulating and supportive environment for the crucial final years of schooling.

With generally small class sizes and strong, positive teacher-student relationships, our young adults receive every assistance and encouragement to achieve their best. And it shows in our OP results which are consistently above state average.

With a wide range of Queensland Studies Authority subjects, including Maths C, Music Extension and Technology Studies, we offer the flexibility to meet different interests.

Vocational Education and Training subjects are a further option in preparing for future careers and all students test their career inclinations through work experience.

Concordia Lutheran College is about much more than gaining qualifications and preparing for tertiary education or work. In these final College years, students refine character, develop independent thought, take on leadership roles with humility and consolidate the life skills that are so much a part of our philosophy. The month-long Year 10 outdoor education program at Ballon is embedded into the curriculum and is an integral part of this personal growth process.

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

We believe our comprehensive, coeducational approach gives students an exceptional preparation and resilience to tackle the rigours of tertiary academic life or vocational pursuits and the diverse challenges of the twenty-first century world.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE CREATE A WELCOMING HOME Home away from home Students love boarding at Concordia!

We began a long tradition in 1946 of providing boarding for children from the Darling Downs. Today our boarders also come from regional Queensland, interstate and overseas.

Leisure time has plenty to offer with sport and cocurricular interests, both within the Redlands Campus and on weekend outings. Most activities are coeducational and include excursions, movie nights, camping weekends and social events.

We have created an environment where young people from Years 7 to 12, can make the most of their ‘home away from home’ and discover an enjoyable extra dimension to College life. Supportive happy parents are a key to our success and College visits to country areas strengthen these family bonds.

Our high staff-to-student ratio and excellent pastoral care give the strongest levels of security and support, and new students quickly absorb the culture of genuine care for themselves and each other. Supervised study sessions allow each boarder to strive for academic success.

With single gender boarding houses, caring house parents and plenty of opportunities for shared activities, boarders develop a strong sense of family. Our contemporary boarding approach offers excellent nutritious meals and comfortable, attractive rooms with personal study areas.

The dining room is a vibrant hub of activity for day and boarding students.

International boarders at Concordia enjoy additional support to make sure they feel at home, including travel and academic assistance and the opportunity for home-stays with local families.

Outside School Hours Care and Vacation Care Making the most of Concordia campuses, our Outside School Hours Care and Vacation Care programs, give working parents flexibility and peace of mind. These programs provide fun-filled activities for all ages, including special vacation excursions and guest speakers.

CONCORDIA

WITH ONE HEART

WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY Concordia Lutheran College encourages 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 bringing smiles to our extended community in the Toowoomba area.

Through our connections to Lutheran Church congregations and Lutheran Community Care facilities, there are many opportunities to help out, including community concerts and visits to aged-care. Links with local service organisations, local media, regional councils and the University of Southern Queensland extend our active partnerships. We also open our hearts to the needs of the global community by raising funds for humanitarian causes.

Parents and grandparents are integral to our vibrant community too – we forge strong partnerships through the P&F associations, through parent

assistance in our Junior College classrooms and through the Boarder Parent Support Group. Visits to distant communities ensure that parents are included in College life.

As part of an extended family we value our traditions; the wealth of knowledge and support that past students bring to our Alumni.

Together we all play a vital part in creating a connected and caring College community.

CONCORDIA

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US

WITH ONE HEART

We invite you to visit In choosing a school, one of the best ways to get a real sense of the place is to meet the students and teachers and hear what they have to say.

We would love you to visit and get to know us. Simply phone to arrange a time. We will welcome you and give you a tour of any of our three Toowoomba campuses. Alternatively come to one of our Open Days when you can enjoy seeing the College in action.

For us, being part of Concordia Lutheran College is being part of a community that cares deeply about the

potential of each young person; that welcomes people from many places and backgrounds. Concordia is a relatively small College in a beautiful location where boys and girls mix easily and support each other; where teachers love their job and where students love to learn.

Above all, it’s about being of one spirit by reflecting our Christian values and fulfilling our desire to achieve the very best for each student.

www.concordia.qld.edu.au Enrolment enquiries 154 Stephen Street Toowoomba Queensland 4350 Australia T 07 4688 2700 F 07 4688 2799 enquiries@concordia.qld.edu.au  Redlands Campus 154 Stephen Street Toowoomba Queensland 4350 T 07 4688 2700  Concordia Primary Campus 67 Warwick Street Toowoomba Queensland 4350 T 07 4635 4733  Martin Luther Primary Campus 402 Hume Street Toowoomba Queensland 4350 T 07 4635 5544  Ballon Outdoor Education Centre PMB 90002 MS 355 Chinchilla Queensland 4413 CRICOS number: 00581G

Concordia Lutheran College is a school of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Queensland District.