Head of Campus – Parents in Partnership
It has been so exciting to be able to begin our onsite connection once again with parents. Looking back at this same time last year, we were not able to host parent information sessions, have parent helpers onsite or attend events such as Discovery Learning Excursions and Assemblies.
In fact, some of our special events such as the Welcome Picnic could not even be held. Whilst early 2022 may seem like a distant memory, in February 2023 we celebrate the privilege we have to once again reconnect with you, our families. I am so grateful to all of our families who have navigated the past few years where we were forced to be apart, and my prayer is that we can collectively embrace all of the opportunities we have to come together in 2023 and beyond.
Ann-Marree Weigl, Head of Campus
Whats On at Junior School
Week 4
Tuesday 21st February – Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day (Please refer to Edsmart notification)
Tuesday 21st February – Junior School Family Picnic, Front Roundabout, 6pm (Edsmart notification to come!)
Friday 24th February – Year 4 Student Leaders’ Investiture and Service of Dedication, Middle School – Highton SAC (Please refer to EdSmart Notification)
Week 5
Monday 27th February – Emergency and Lockdown drills
Friday 3rd March – Assembly, 4R Class Item (*Please note change of class)
Friday 3rd March – Prep Discover Learning Excursion, Prep B, G and R
Week 6
Tuesday 7th March – Lunchtime Concert (details to follow)
Friday 10th March – Year 4 at Middle School Swimming Carnival held at Kardinia Aquatic Centre (EdSmart to follow).
Week 7 –
Monday 13th March – Labour Day Holiday
Tuesday 14th March – Student Learning Conferences – 4-7pm (Information to come!)
Tuesday 14th March – Year 4 Students at Middle School Swimming Carnival (EdSmart to follow)
Wednesday 15th March – Prep Students to attend school
Wednesday 15th March – NAPLAN Year 3 Writing
Thursday 16th March – NAPLAN Year 3 Reading
Thursday 16th March – Student Learning Conferences – 4-6pm
Friday 17th March – Assembly, 3B Class Item
Friday 17th March – Prep Discovery Learning Excursion, Prep B, G, and R
Lego Club
Dear Families of Christian College Senior, Middle and Junior Schools,
At Junior School we love our Lego, and we are reaching out to families to see if they can assist us in any way to build our resource.
Lego is used at Junior School for students to come together and build skills such as turn taking, sharing, listening, teamwork and collaborative problem solving. In the early 2000s, US paediatric neuropsychologist Daniel LeGoff (2004) published research that showed many children were more interested in interacting with each other if they were playing with Lego. Therefore, as Lego promotes social interaction it is also a part of the social groups that we provide for children where they can practise communication and social skills while having fun.
Whilst we do have a small collection of Lego, our levels of student engagement are meaning that we are seeking donations from any families that may be able to part with their much-loved Lego. If you have or know of anyone who may have Lego that is no longer used, or taking up space in a cupboard or storage space, and want to know that it will go somewhere where it is loved and looked after, I would ask that you contact [email protected] to let us know. All donations will be gratefully accepted.
Thank you.
Ann-Marree Weigl, Head of Campus, Junior School-Belmont
Discovery Learning
Wow, what a day for our first Discovery Learning session at Cosy Corner in Torquay. The sun was out, the sand was hot, and the students had big smiles on their faces.
What an amazing way to encounter God’s wonderful creation through exploration and play. Students were ‘very excited’ as we ate our snack looking over the beach. Conversations could be heard:
“I loved getting my feet stuck in the sand” – Zane
“I loved running in the water” – Aarush
“I like going in the ocean and finding beach things” – Florence
“I like helping Celeste make a pool in the sand” – Elle
We built sandcastles, splashed in the waves, explored the rocks and other natural parts of the beach.
Students bring these experiences back to the classroom with authentic discoveries made. Once back at school, we shared photos of our fun and had the chance to discuss what we chose to do. This was a helpful stepping stone leading to drawing and writing about the adventure. The students were tired but did a fantastic job of recording their first Beach Prep Experience.
Steve Horman
Winnie Comes to Junior School
The students have been listening and learning over the last few weeks about how to care for and interact with our Wellbeing Dog Winnie and today, Winnie was able to visit during assembly.
It was so special for me to see all the students faces as they saw Winnie. The students did so well in keeping their excitement on the inside and reminding each other of how we interact with her whilst at school, giving Winnie a wave to say hello.
Thank you, Junior School for remembering to say hello from a distance with a smile and wave – Winnie is developing wonderful manners.
Darcee Braun, Chaplain
Year 2s Create a Trustworthy and Positive Learning Space!
A worthwhile endeavour in the Year 2 classrooms – ‘‘Creating, holding, and guarding a trustworthy space.” Parker Palmer
One of the most challenging tasks for a teacher at the beginning of any academic year is helping to create a culture of respect in the classroom where students feel able to make mistakes, to share honestly, and to authentically ‘show up’ without fear of ridicule or condemnation.
An important goal in these early weeks, as the students work with partners and in small groups, is to create clear boundaries so that children feel safe – physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and mentally. It is only when children feel safe that they can flourish and begin to take those important risks that real learning demands. Remembering that we are not to laugh at one another’s mistakes is just one of the important boundaries that needs to be upheld to create that safe place.
To ensure that each class member feels a sense of belonging and ownership, the students have been practising skills such as listening, collaborating, including others, and unpacking what accepting, valuing, and celebrating one another’s differences looks like. This has been further enhanced by the incorporation of beautiful texts such as ‘Respect’ into our classroom reading, which provide a wonderful springboard for discussion.
Encouraged by the seeds of positive culture that are already beginning to sprout amongst this wonderful cohort of children, the Year 2 teachers are excited about what is yet to come.
Anne Spence
Clubs Kick Off at Junior School
Whether its Lego, dance, computers, gardening, knitting, choir, chess, running or tinkering, there’s a wonderful variety of activities on offer for Junior School students before school, at recess and lunchtimes each week. Students of all ages are encouraged to visit our clubs that are led by passionate staff who are keen to share their personal hobbies and interests with others.
Below is our Junior School Clubs weekly roster – please encourage your child to explore the different clubs on offer, where they will meet new friends from all year levels and enjoy learning plenty of new skills.
Carla Dunlop, Deputy Head of Junior School
Year 4 – Device Program and Digital Wellbeing Parent Information Session
On Wednesday the 15th of February the Junior School Year 4 staff, supported by Mr Brendan Vanderkley (Director of Digital Learning at Christian College), hosted a session for parents to support the introduction of the Year 4 1:1 Digital Device Program at Junior School.
- The session outlined the purpose and relevance of the 1:1 devices for student learning
- The College Device Program
- Our Cyber Safe Schools Program
- What to consider when devices come home
The aims of the Digital Device Program are to encourage students to be creators of content rather than consumers, to facilitate opportunities for student thinking and social connection and to enable learning to become more personalised for the students. Year 4 staff reinforced these aims by sharing programs being used by the students, such as Essential Assessment and Matific. They also highlighted software that students are being introduced to, to support their learning, such as Sway, Teams and Microsoft Whiteboard.
Mr Vanderkley also emphasised the multi-layered approach that the College has on digital safety and shared elements such as School Manager, the Online Safety Hub, Classwise and Connect app with families. If you were unable to attend this device session, please refer to the 2023 Device Program Parent Resources Handout for further information to support you and your child in the digital space.
I would like to extend my thanks to all parents who were able to share this evening with us and to both Mr Vanderkley and the Year 4 Junior School staff for their wonderful presentations.
Ann-Marree Weigl, Head of Campus
Welcome to the Art Room!
What a wonderful start to all things creative in the Art Room. We have begun our creative journey exploring paint and enjoying the ooze and blend of colours.
Paint was splashed everywhere, and dynamic results were achieved! What was particularly enjoyable for me was hearing expressive discussion among students about their own work and that of their peers.
“Wow! This is great!” …followed by giggles…. and then “Oh look at mine! I love yours” …. were just some of the quotes.
We have also been able to enjoy drawing and exploring detail by looking at nature. Sunflowers were a popular choice providing inspiration to look at nature more closely.
Below is a little sample of some their achievements with much more to follow.
Jen Beck-Carlson
Sport Update
Afterschool Netball Program – Junior School
We have two vacancies for girls in Years 3 or 4 interested in playing netball afterschool on Monday afternoons at Kardinia Park.
Games are played for this age group at 4.15pm.
If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Flora Murdoch at [email protected] for further information.
Community Sports Programs
Please see below information about sporting programs in our local area.
- Hockey – Hookin2 Hockey – Newtown City Hockey Club
- AFL Football – Auskick program at Geelong Amateurs Football and Netball Club
- Table Tennis – Table Tennis Momentum for 10 years and under in North Geelong
If you have any junior sporting programs commencing, please feel free to send the information to me – [email protected].
Nick Rice, Junior School Health and Physical Education Coordinator
Chess Club
Leading the Learning
During this week our leaders of learning from each of our campuses and learning areas joined together in a Teaching and Learning retreat to collectively work together on what will the future of education look like.
The last few years of education have seen immense changes, both socially and academically, as new and emerging technologies continue to challenge what it means to be educated.
As leaders we deliberated on our purpose as educators, and set goals to enable an inclusive, adaptive and engaging landscape of learning for all of our students.
To Seek First the Kingdom of God in all that we do, guided by our College’s philosophical statement, so that our students will be prepared to make a positive difference in the lives of others through ‘Good Work’ that is excellent, ethical and engaged in local, national and global contexts.
With endless knowledge at their fingertips, student engagement in, and ownership of, their learning was high on the agenda. There were many great discussions, deliberations and immersive activities that fostered a rich design thinking approach to not only our five strategic goals for Teaching and Learning, but how that might look across all of our campuses, in all aspects of College life.
It was fabulous to have our campus leaders, directors and leaders of learning areas, including our Rural and Transformation programs, as well as our newly appointed Dean of Christian Culture and Director of Wellbeing present.
We are excited about the future of education and are inspired to ensure that our students are well supported, nurtured and challenged to make a positive influence in the world around them.
Antony Benson, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg Seminars
On March 9 and 16, renowned psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, will conduct two seminars in Geelong at GMHBA Stadium for parents and carers of adolescents at either end of their secondary school journey.
On March 9, he looks at ‘Starting Secondary School’ and on March 16, ‘Surviving Year 12’.
The sessions are presented by Read the Play, a local not-for-profit organisation that delivers programs in partnership with sporting clubs to empower young people to take control of their mental health and wellbeing. Read the Play aims to: increase knowledge and awareness about mental health problems; increase knowledge about local support services; and increase confidence and skills in guiding our youth to relevant support services.
Tickets to each of Dr Carr-Gregg’s sessions are priced at $15 per person (plus booking fee) with 100 per cent of all ticket revenue going to Read the Play.
See the attached PDF for more details on each of the sessions. Tickets can be purchased from: www.readtheplay.org.au
MCG Seminar Series Geelong March 2023
Notice to All Parents Regarding CSEF Funding
The Victorian State Government runs a program called the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF). As the name suggests, the fund is designed to assist families meet costs associated with school camps, sport and excursions and requires families to apply in each year they have a child who is eligible. Families who have an eligible child will receive $125 per year for a primary aged student and $225 per year for a secondary aged student.
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. Please complete a 2023 Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) Application Form and return to your campus administration office by the end of Term 1 please.
Please read the attached document for further information.
Jonathan Ryan, Operations Manager
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
