Bellarine Community Events  

• Junior School Assemblies – Monday mornings, 9.00-9.45am as per calendar throughout the term  
• Student Learning Conferences – TEAMS, Tuesday 7th March, 4.00-8.00pm and Thursday 9th March, 4.00-6.00pm  
• Year 8&9 Parents – Social Coffee and Afternoon Tea (Bellarine Barn) – Friday 17th March, 2.30-3.30pm  

Getting to Know You… 

This week our Year 1, 2, 3 and 4 students travelled to Point Lonsdale for our Getting To Know You excursion. This is a day where the aim is to build community and friendships through beach activities and fun exploration. It was lovely to see them interact with each other, and our new prefects, in such a happy and joyous way. One of the highlights was the sand castle competition where students worked with their friends to create some amazing designs and structures. It was a great day of community early in our year. 

Recognising and Exploring Digital Systems for a Purpose in Prep

Prep students have been developing an understanding of the presence and role of digital technologies (computers) in their everyday lives and for a range of purposes – including in the classroom. Students consider ‘What is a computer?’ and consider the basic features that make up a digital system. By comparing the Windows laptops used in Digital Technologies classes with iPad devices used in general classrooms, students can identify similarities and differences between different digital devices. 

‘Plein Air’ Drawing 

Year 5 students found themselves outside experiencing drawing in the school landscape this week.  

It was such fun to draw in this way as we had a morning of wonderful sunshine and a light breeze to add to our enjoyment, but it was also exciting to experience a new way to capture our inspiration for what we were going to draw.   

The students each had created a viewfinder the week before. A viewfinder is a piece of card with a rectangular window cut in the middle. It works like a window in that it helps the artist find compositions for drawing or painting, whether this is landscape or portrait mode. All the artist must do is look through. Students then practised their line and shading techniques — crosshatching, stippling, scumbling, dots and dashes — with wax crayons, to add variety and interest to the surface of the landscape. The Year 5 artists experimented with ink resist technique to complete the final layer of embellishment to the ‘plein air’ drawings. 

Year 7 Omelettes 

The Year 7 Food Studies students made delicious omelettes on rye bread for their breakfast cook. Students are trialling different breakfasts before creating their own design in the coming weeks. I was so impressed with the students’ efficiency, teamwork and enthusiasm! 

Snap! Flow, go Slow and…FREEZE!!! 

In the Year 8 Drama elective this term, students have been continuing their focus on non-verbal communication through mime. We have taken part in workshops, performed solo mimes – which saw us stuck in gum or thinking we could lift more than we were actually able to lift, at the gym. 

Since then, students have been devising short group mime performances. These needed to include mime conventions: snap, flow, slow motion and freeze frame (tableaux). 

Students were able to use or adapt a given scenario, or devise their own – with a car crash love story, a deadly wedding, as well as a story that was created about a very in-demand scarf. 

Now we turn our learning to Italian-based theatrical form, Commedia dell’arte, to further extend our expressive and performance skills.  

Year 9 History 

Students gained a deep insight in Year 9 History this week as they played the European Settlement Game. Clearing bushland, constructing farms and woolsheds, hunting and living off the land helped students develop an understanding of the impact of British settlement on the Australian environment and our First Nations People.  

Here are some reflections from our Year 9’s – 

“When playing the game, I didn’t think about that my actions would affect local Indigenous People because I was too busy worrying about making money and making my farm bigger and better than the other team’s.” – Pippa 

“We should have predicted that cutting all of the trees down and killing all of the wildlife would have had an impact on the land. Our actions would have affected the Indigenous People because…they would have had nothing to eat and the land is so special to all Indigenous Australians, so to see that destroyed would be heartbreaking.” – Minnah 

Future Enrolments 

For Deputy Head Mr Andrew Platt, and myself, it is a real privilege as part of our roles to meet with prospective families and conduct tours around our Bellarine Campus, sharing with them the rich and authentic learning program that takes place in each classroom with your young person on a daily basis. 

A tour of the Bellarine Campus provides each prospective family with a genuine ‘feel’ of everyday life and learning at our campus, and that’s something that really has to be seen and experienced firsthand to gain a full understanding and appreciation. 

With Term 1 2023 well underway, it has been wonderful to have had the opportunity to meet and talk with many prospective families as to their educational aspirations for their children. We feel both excited and privileged that many families are seeking a Christian College education at all year levels. In particular, Years Prep, 5 and 7 are filling quickly for next  year. 

Symphonic Band Blast – The Senior Wind Symphony Puts on a Show!  

The Year 5 and 7 students from Bellarine, Highton and Surf Coast Campuses all attended a concert and band instrument demonstration/trials this Wednesday. The Senior Wind Symphony performed for the students and also demonstrated their individual instruments. This ensemble is the most advanced of the five concert bands across the College, it is a 50-piece band with students coming from years 10-12 at the Senior Campus.  

The concert was a great avenue for our senior students to inspire the younger students with their beautiful music and generous spirit. The band performed three works which is a great effort so early in the year! As conductors, Mr Rankin and I are very proud of the enthusiasm and energy and look forward to our rehearsals and performances throughout the year! 

Bravo Senior Wind Symphony!  

Teachers Growing and Learning  

Earlier this week, Christian College teachers, Julie Shutie from Junior School-Belmont, Emma Workman and Nicola Morrish both from Senior School, commenced a year-long learning journey with the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership as Teaching Excellence Programme participants.  

The opening conference was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre with the opening address from Victorian Education Minister, Ms Natalie Hutchins. She celebrated the role and work of the teaching profession and the work we would undertake as participants in this prestigious program. She charged us with growing ourselves as learners to ensure we are providing the best possible learning outcomes for our students across the state. 

Device Program and Digital Wellbeing Parent Resources 

Over the past two weeks, parents of our Year 4 students across the campuses have had the opportunity to attend an information session about the College’s 1:1 Device Program and Cyber Safe Schools Program. At Surf Coast and Bellarine Campuses, where students attend beyond Year 4, this invitation was extended to other families, especially new families to the College. 

It is our desire to partner with parents in supporting students at all ages to develop positive digital behaviours and online safety, and these evenings provided information, guidance and support to parents – particularly parents of Year 4 students prior to the students having the opportunity to begin bringing their laptop home. 

Canteen Service  

The Bellarine campus offers Christian College Bellarine students a fast and easy lunch service each Tuesday and Thursday.  

The Fresh Meal Fairy located in Drysdale, will be the provider of this lunch service to the Bellarine Campus. Servicing many schools across our region, The Fresh Meal Fairy offers a broad menu in line with Nutrition Australia Guidelines, made fresh daily in a local commercial kitchen that is then carefully packed and delivered to the school.   

Visit Back Creek Café! 

Christian College’s Back Creek Café in Meredith is a vital part of our Year 9 residential farm experience. Located 15 minutes south of Back Creek Farm, the café is open six days a week (not Sundays) from 8:30am to 3pm. On weekdays during term time, working at the café is part of the schedule for the Year 9s’ Farm Program work groups. Students learn a whole range of hospitality-related skills as they assist with the day-to-day café operations.

If you’re passing through Meredith this weekend, or just fancy a 35-minute drive up the Midland Hwy from Geelong, make sure you drop in and say hi. While you’re there, enjoy the best coffee in town – or choose from a range of other beverages – indulge in an all-day breakfast or one of the other scrumptious light meal/snack options on the menu. There is also a variety of sweet or savoury treats to enjoy while you’re there and delicious home-made produce to purchase and take home.

You can also check out the latest from the café via its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Back Creek Café is located at 1/27 Staughton Street Meredith. For enquiries and bookings, call 5286 1166.