Student Digital Safety Forum for Parents/Guardians and Staff

Do you ever worry about your young person’s online behaviour and safety? 

Do you have a clear understanding of the legalities surrounding digital image production, sharing and requesting, for young people?

Would you like to know if other families have the same questions, experiences, challenges and concerns as you? 

As our young people continue to grow up and learn within a ‘technological age’, their digital safety remains a critical focus for staff at Christian College Geelong, as I am sure it does for you at home. As per my recent email, and as part of our strategy to partner genuinely and comprehensively with you in their nurturing, I warmly invite you to our upcoming Student Digital Safety Forum for Parents/Guardians, Staff and Victoria Police.

This important event will be held in the Christian College Middle School – Highton Library on Wednesday, June 14, from 5:45pm-7:15pm. All parents and guardians from Year 4 to Year 12 are invited to attend

A Step Back in Time on a Great Day Out

On Tuesday June 6, Years 1 and 2 went to Werribee Mansion as part of their ‘Change’ Integrated Studies unit. To make the day feel more realistic, children were encouraged to dress up as children from the past. The effort that was made on the day was fantastic and the children and staff really looked the part!

At the mansion, the classes were able to enjoy several different experiences which gave them a great insight into how the lives of people have changed over the years. Firstly, the children spent an hour in the nursery with the Governess who showed them how school life would have worked and introduced the children to some traditional toys. The classes then had an opportunity to dress up further and play with the toys, of which a particular favourite was the puppet show!

After this, the classes had time to walk around and enjoy the manor. The children were mesmerized walking around the mansion, spotting lots of features of the house such as the furniture, the amazing details on the ceiling and mostly the old-fashioned toilets!

Finally, we had time to explore the grounds, where we walked around the lake spotting lots of wildlife and walked onto a secret island with a beautiful grotto. The children also walked down to the old farm to see the buildings and learn about the lifestyles of the original property farmers.

This was a great day of learning and exploring for our students on a beautiful, picturesque property.
 

Hayley Keogh, Chantelle Dalton, Renee Cunningham and Jonathan Maddock

Letters From the Choir

Bellarine Junior Choir students enjoyed making the alphabet this week, as part of the process of learning the words and rhythm of ‘School Song’, from ‘Matilda’. As we contorted our bodies into the familiar shapes of letters, we reflected that our school experiences were vastly different from Matilda’s!

All students from Prep-4 are welcome to join Bellarine Junior Choir. Rehearsals are Thursday mornings, from 8.00-8.45am in the auditorium.

A Super-Sized String Ensemble

This week saw the Junior String Ensembles from Surf Coast, Junior School and Bellarine gather together for a fun day of combined music making. The enthusiastic students were brought together in the Bellarine Auditorium to form a super-sized String Ensemble of over 50 students, which rehearsed two pieces before a short break, during which the students from different campuses got to mingle with their fellow string buddies.

We then resumed playing with some individual group performances, before our excited audience of Year 1 and 2 Bellarine students arrived to hear the combined string group perform the catchy Jamaican tune “Tingo Layo” and the stately ‘March of the Astronauts’, followed by a rousing rendition of an Irish folk tune ‘Forty Pound Float’ used in the Bluey episode, ‘Fairies’ – a definite crowd favourite!

It was wonderful to see these young musicians perform together so seamlessly and participate so fully. We look forward to presenting these two pieces for families and friends at the Spring into Strings evening scheduled for later in term three.

Thanks to: Jeannette Carnie, cello teacher and director of the Bellarine Junior String ensemble; the piano accompaniment staff of Stephanie Lawrence and Tammy Treloar who assisted with rehearsals; String teachers Rebecca Bertoncello (violin) and Caitie Martin (cello) and to Lesley Walters, who stepped out of retirement to help us on the day. Thanks also to Junior School Music teacher Laura Hollingsworth for assisting with supervision and to Master chef Mr Gary Crole who cooked all the sausages for our lunch time sausage sizzle.

Strings Rock!

Martin DeMarte on behalf of the Strings Team

Year 1 and 2 Change Speakers

On Friday June 2, Year 1 and 2 students were treated to two guest speakers to support their Integrated Studies Topic of ‘Change’. Our past CCB colleague David Muller and Hans Damen – Patrick’s Grandpa in Year 1S – shared with us incredible stories from their childhood – where they grew up, the toys and games they used to play with, how they travelled to school, school life and transport over the last 60 years. Students had all thought about and written questions to ask and it was a time of rich learning, connection, and respectful listening. The students loved seeing old fashioned cars, a homemade football, photos of Hans in school and seeing the talented sketches of Hans designing his hand-made creations like a go-kart (you can look at the display at school to see what the others are). The session ended with an appreciation of how grateful we are to have so many opportunities now in our lives.

Designing Devotions

As part of their Christian Education lessons, students in Year 4 have planned and then presented Devotions to their class from their Jesus Story Book Bible. The students had to first choose a story from their Bibles and summarise it. The next part of the task involved them explaining a message from this story and how this message could be applied in their lives. It was fantastic to see the effort the students put into planning this task and the journey they took before they could then present their Devotion to the class.

World Ocean Day

The Library display for this fortnight supports World Ocean Day and the Campus World Ocean Day Competition. We have some fantastic books on display (which can all be borrowed) showcasing our beautiful oceans around the world.

We’re enjoying seeing the creations students are making for the World Ocean Day Competition and are relieved that we don’t have the difficult task of judging!

Library Staff 

Chess Tournament Invitation to Middle School Students and Parents

On Friday June 16, a Middle School House Points Chess tournament will take place in the Auditorium from 12:40 to 1:55.

We need 32 participants for this event. By participating, each student earns house points. The house with the most points will win the Middle School House trophy. Last year’s winner was Penman.

If you want to join this event, contact Mr Monagle or Reidy Sensei asap.

Parents and families of participants are also invited to this event. There is spectator seating in the auditorium, and we hope to broadcast one match per round on the auditorium big screen using a special camera. The Bean Break Cafe students will also be available to take coffee and hot chocolate orders.

Year 6 Maths – Constructing Through Collaboration       

You can feel the creative buzz when you enter the Year 6 classrooms. During Maths sessions, students have been working in pairs designing a tiny house. They are using their knowledge of area and perimeter to construct a three-dimensional model of their tiny house design. Students were given an empty two-dimensional base and from there they have created a home to their liking. Houses vary in size, some are double-story, others are single-storey. It is intriguing to see the various ways students are designing access to their second stories. There are elevators, ladders, and L-shaped staircases. Walking around and observing this project, the engagement and chatter around maths is exciting. “What size should I make this bathtub?”, “Do we need to double this?”, “Look at the patterns on my floor.” We can’t wait to see the finished homes next week.

Tasty Adventures in Indonesian

Year 8 Indonesian students have been on an exciting journey, diving into the fascinating realm of Indonesian cuisine under the topic of “Makanan dan Minuman” (Food and Drinks). Throughout the term, they had the pleasure of sampling various Indonesian dishes, each offering a unique experience.

The students delighted their taste buds with a range of treats, including prawn crackers, Indonesian coffee candy, jasmine tea, condensed milk, palm sugar, fried noodles, and fried rice. Among these delightful encounters, one experience stood out as particularly memorable – the daring tasting of the “king of fruit” known as Durian. While its strong aroma and robust flavour divided opinions, some students found themselves pleasantly surprised by its distinct taste.

In addition to savouring new flavours, the students also delved into the language aspect of their culinary exploration. They learned how to express their preferences, describe food flavours, and engage in conversations about dining out. These lessons provided a deeper understanding of Indonesian eating customs and enriched their cultural knowledge. In addition, this also developed a greater appreciation for cross-cultural experiences. By venturing into the world of Indonesian cuisine, they discovered the connections that food can create across different cultures.

Bellarine Campus – Instrumental Music Evening

This week we enjoyed an amazing evening of music celebrating our fine young musicians.

With two concerts on Thursday evening, we were treated to around 40 performances from various instruments, including solos and duets. The repertoire demonstrated a great range of genres as we were able to enjoy some traditional works right through to more contemporary pop tunes.

Congratulations to all students and families involved in the concert, it takes a great deal of practice and courage to complete a performance of this nature and we are proud of every student.

Year 8 International Food Challenge

The Year 8 students for the past few weeks have been busy planning and trialing dishes for the International Food Challenge. The countries chosen were Mexico, Italy, Vietnam and India. Some of the dishes made were Churros, Sweet Bao Buns, Cannoli, Cannelloni, Chicken Tikka Marsala and Tiramisu. It was an incredible day with all groups producing high quality dishes complimented by menu designs and traditional table decorations. Mr Watson, Ms Huber, Mr Loats and Mr Crole were our judges, all of whom were pretty impressed with the student achievements.

Textiles

The Year 9 Textiles classes have been busily finishing their upcycle project over the last few weeks.  Students purchased articles of clothing from the Op Shop and are upcycling to create a new item. Projects being created are bags made from skirts, skirts made from book pages, business shirts turned into new fashionable tops, pants onto beach shorts, vintage sheets into skirts, formal dresses upcycled or refashioning a little black dress.  We’re looking forward to seeing the finished projects and showing these at the Art Show later in the year.

Forensics Day

On Wednesday, the Science department took a total of eight Year 9 students from Highton and Bellarine campuses to an educational Forensics Day. The event, held at Deakin University, offered participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of forensic science. From examining crime scenes to conducting laboratory experiments, the students had a hands-on experience that fostered critical thinking, problem-solving skills, a passion for scientific exploration and a deeper appreciation of the scientific method.

During the day, the students participated in a range of activities aimed at solving a simulated crime. Guided by the expertise of PhD candidates from Deakin University, they examined a crime scene, gathering evidence and analysing samples in the laboratory.

Deakin University provided an ideal environment for the Year 9 students to immerse themselves in the world of higher education and gain insights into science degrees. The PhD candidates are passionate science and they engaged the students in rich conversations about pursuing academic courses at the degree level.

The Forensics Day at Deakin University provided Year 9 students with an extraordinary opportunity to explore the world of forensic science in a practical and immersive manner. The event not only broadened their horizons but also fostered connections between students from different campuses. Overall, the Forensics Day was a resounding success.

"The opportunity to do the workshops at Deakin University gave me an understanding of what a career in this field would be like. I am grateful to the school for this opportunity, and enjoyed being able to match DNA samples to who touched what."

Keely Denyer Year 9, Highton Campus

GISSA Cross Country Championships

For the first time since 2019 the GISSA Cross Country Championships were held recently, with our College XC team finishing a very creditable second overall on the day. The 80+ strong College team was made up of Year 7 to year 12 students from the Bellarine, Highton, and Senior Campuses. All team members ran beautifully on the day, covering the 3.5km or 4.5km distance, posting some great times and earning valuable points for the college.

We acknowledge the following students on their top 10 finish in their age group on the day – Olivia Clark 5th, Summer Morgan 7th, Nate Bradley 2nd, Thomas Stefanovski 4th, Lewis Reed 6th, Max Gear 6th, Suzanna Mavromihalis 1st, Ellie Morgan 5th, Maddy Grunberg 9th, Oscar Kattwinkle 1st, John McClure 2nd, Jai Bouvier 4th, Taj Beckworth 6th, Harper Costa 10th, Shelley Forkgen 3rd, Alexis Jane 6th, Jacob McKie 3rd, Daniel Scott 6th and Aaron Hanson 9th.

After some very close scoring across the various age sections and genders, the College won both the Senior Girls (16yo and Open age groups) and Senior Boys Shields, which was a fantastic outcome for these senior team members. Our College XC team was well led by Laura Hall and Jacob McKie, along with their Year 12 colleagues who ran for the school for the last time: Nicole Briscoe, Kirrily McConachy, Kade Leigh, Aaron Hanson, Ben Morse, Jonty Grills, and Isaac Boseley. We thank these students for the valuable contribution over the years for our XC team.

Some of our XC team members will be running at the State All Schools XC Championships on the 22nd July, and we wish these students all the best as they represent our college at this event.

Senior School Subject Selection – Learning Pathways Night and More

To empower our students and their families to make well-informed decisions regarding their learning pathways, subject choices, and accredited courses of study, we have organised a series of valuable opportunities. These initiatives aim to familiarise students and families with the available options, processes, and potential outcomes available to them. We are excited to commence these events with a Learning Pathways Information Session, taking place online on Tuesday, June 20th at 6:30 PM.

During the Learning Pathways Information Session, we will provide essential information to students and families, shedding light on the revised VCE (ATAR), VCE VM (Vocational Major), Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC), VET courses, and School-Based Apprenticeship & Traineeships (SBATs). Our aim is to offer clear and concise explanations of how each of these pathways presents unique opportunities for students in their pursuit of future ambitions.

This session will prove immensely beneficial for families joining our Senior School community in 2024, serving as a comprehensive guide for our current Year 10 and 11 students and families as they consider their options while progressing into the next year level.

Would you Like to go to Space…Camp?

The Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship is an international education program which aims to reward aspiring STEM enthusiasts and future leaders with a hands-on astronaut training experience at the U.S. Space and Rocket Centre’s renowned Space Camp, located in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.

Four students from Australia will be awarded a scholarship to the International Space Camp program taking place in Huntsville, Alabama in July 2024. The winning group of students (and one teacher) will make up ‘Mission Crew #13 - Team Australia’, and will join fellow groups from the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Chile, Singapore, United States and Poland to become ‘Team Endeavour’.

Successful applicants will receive an all-expenses paid enrolment and airfare to Space Camp, where for one-week students are immersed in the ultimate educational experience to illuminate real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

All covered expenses include tuition, dormitory accommodation, meals throughout the week, and economy class round trip from Australia to Huntsville, Alabama. Travel will also include all transportation on the ground, as well as a day trip to Washington DC ahead of Space Camp commencement.

Calling all CC Eagles Members and Families

We are pleased to present an opportunity for you to be a part of CC Eagles/ Geelong United Basketball Club Fundraiser, with NBL1 tickets available for the following game through the club:

Round 10 – Hoop City Geelong United Supercats v Dandenong Rangers – Saturday June 17, 2023. Tip off: Women – 5:00pm, Men – 7:00pm (Ticket gets you in to both games at The Geelong Arena)

All PRE-ORDERED tickets will cost $10.00 with $5.00 being retained by our club.

On the night we want to see our members show up at the game in our CLUB COLOURS.

We hope that everyone embraces this opportunity to get our CC Eagles family together and support Hoop City Geelong United Supercats on the night.

Foundation Golf Day 2023

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, we are delighted to announce the Christian College Foundation Golf Day tournament for 2023.

Save the date: Thursday November 9.

We are seeking prizes for this event – if you own a local business and are interested in creating partnership opportunities with Christian College, please contact Fiona Provan on 0400 477 467, or email [email protected]

A MYTERN Thought for This Week

It’s easy to rush through a cup of tea or coffee and forget to stop and appreciate the moment. 

Take time out now to simply appreciate being able to breathe in fresh air. Take a long slow breath and feel it rejuvenate every cell. 

Make that your intention and watch your body smile from the inside 👍❤️

Discover more about MYTERN here