Junior School Term 2 Week 10

From the Acting Principal

And just like that, we’ve arrived at the end of Semester 1. For Prep parents, you are likely trying to comprehend how fast that first six months went, and how much your little one has learned in such a short span of time. At the other end of our College, I’m sure there are some Year 12 parents who have an eye on the finish line: final exams, a graduation and, suddenly, a child you once held in your arms will have become an adult.

That’s the joy, for me, of belonging to a school like Christian College. One minute, I’m sitting on a classroom floor with a bunch of Grade Preps, learning how to put words together to form a sentence. Next, I’m hiking through the Grampians with a class of VCE Outdoor Education students, discussing life interests and career aspirations.

Whilst the term has drawn to a close for our students, there’s still excitement in the air for many of our Year 11s with two Presentation Balls taking place over this weekend. These nights are always a wonderful celebration of our community and, having heard firsthand from the dance instructors during the week, this year’s students have already proven themselves to be an enthusiastic, courteous and caring group of young people.

A Measure of Success

Dear Parents and Families, I hope this edition of the Vine finds you well and staying warm as we navigate this Winter season. Next week you will receive your child’s summative report for Semester 1. I wonder what the most important part of this report will be for you as a parent. Will it be the academic grades? Will it be the affectives that represent attitude and endeavour in learning? Will it be a combination of both, or will it perhaps be that the report is not even opened? There are no right or wrong answers in this space, but we can be prompted during this season of student reporting to consider what do we value and what is most important to us. Although an end of Semester report will not go home about the staff at Junior School, I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you share some of the affectives that I know and see staff achieving at the highest standard every day:

I teach because I can help my students reach their full potential.

I teach students that they are of value to themselves and the world.

I teach because what could be more important than equipping the next generation with the character and competence, they need to become successful?

I teach because of the miracle of learning and the knowledge that all children can learn.

I teach because I know what I am doing, I love what I am doing, and I believe in what I am doing.

I teach in faith, Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (ESV).

Semester 1’s In Focus is now Published!

The first edition of In Focus for 2024 is now published. With changes around the College’s leadership structure in 2025, we’ve chosen a theme of ‘Firm Foundations for a Flourishing Future’. Built on firm foundations, the College has come a long way over 45 years and we are excited about our future. As educators, we want our students to flourish in their learning and growth as people – at school and beyond. The foundations built during their K-12 years are critical for their lifelong journey.  

The Christian College Geelong Foundation held its Gathering Hope event in May where 80 people enjoyed lunch and an address from guest speaker, Jossy Chacko – who tells us a little of his remarkable story in this edition of In Focus. 

We celebrate the success of the Class of 2023 and catch up with Dux, Oscar Saffin, to find out where the past six months have taken him. 

Recently elected College Board Chair, Associate Professor David Fuller, outlines some of what the Board has been doing in recent months in preparation for our leadership changes next year, and we introduce the eight current Board members.  

Canteen Update

In Term 3 the Canteen will be open on Wednesday and Fridays again. Please note, Sushi will only be available for over the counter sales and will not be offered to order online.

Student Learning Conferences

Student Learning Conferences are being held online on Tuesday July 23, 4:00pm – 7:00pm and Thursday July 25, 4:00pm – 6:00pm. Please note: Bookings will open on Monday July 8 at 4:00pm and close on Monday July 22 at 4:00pm.

Please see the attached file below on how to book a student learning conference with your child’s teacher.

We encourage you to forward any queries regarding accessing the online conferences to our IT Specialists by contacting helpdesk@ccg.vic.edu.au

Please also find a link to a document which outlines the steps for you to participate in the online Teams conferences: Parent Guide, Joining a Teams Meeting

Learning-Conference-Flyer July 2024

What’s on at Junior School

This an up to date list of planned activities at Junior Campus that you can use for planning purposes.  Please be aware that these dates are set early in the term and occasionally items may need to be cancelled or dates/times altered.  This itinerary is altered each week to reflect any changes – please check this list of events EVERY WEEK carefully when you read the weekly VINE newsletter.

Term 3, Week 1
Tuesday July 16 – First day of Term 3!
Tuesday July 16 – Commencement Assembly, 10:25am

Week 2
Tuesday July 23 – Student Learning Conferences, 4:00pm-7:00pm (refer to Edsmart)
Wednesday July 24 – Prep Discovery Learning, 12:30-3:00pm
Thursday July 25– Student Learning Conferences, 4:00pm-6:00pm

Week 3
Monday July 29 – Olympic Opening Ceremony (details to come!)
Wednesday July 31 – Prep Farm Excursion
Friday August 2 – Assembly 9:00am. 1G Item

Our Village ‘Geelong Mums’ – Wacky Hair Donations

Hello, on behalf of the Junior School Project Care team would like to thank you for your effort and participation in our wacky hair day we ran last week.

On Wacky Hair Day, the project care team collected all of your generous donations of toiletries products and my goodness, there were so many! Our team spent lots of time counting all of the donations and we are so excited to tell you that we collected 378 items for people in need in our community.

We had the opportunity yesterday to take these donations to Our Village – Geelong Mums and have a look around and hear about how each of your donations help people.

“It was cool seeing how many supplies they had and how they were really organised. I enjoyed seeing the care packages they put together for people, all the people were really kind. I learnt that they help over 800 people every month in need of help which is a lot. Because they help so many people, they need to be creative with using donations and they even reuse sheets that are not quite good enough to use and people sew them into bags for the care packages. I really enjoyed visiting and it helped me to understand how our toiletries donations will help people.” – Andrea Wong Year 4

The Value of Teacher Professional Development

Nurturing Growth and Enhancing Practice

As the educational landscape evolves, so must our teachers. Professional development (PD) plays a pivotal role in empowering educators to thrive in their roles, adapt to changing contexts, and continuously improve their practice. Whether this is through educational readings, podcasts, peer observation, webinars or external sessions. Teachers are lifelong learners. Attending PD sessions allows us to stay abreast of the latest research, pedagogical approaches, and technological advancements.

Last Saturday, four teachers from across the Belmont and Surf Coast Junior Schools attended an all day PD focused on Mathematics. Titled the Effective Maths Conference, this day is part of the What Works Series and comes from the Think Forward Educators Branch. The speakers ranged from international Maths App designer, Bruno Reddy to local educators, lecturers at universities and resource creators. It was a wonderful day that left the four of us inspired and ready to enter this final week of term with fresh ideas. Mr Brown even got up and became the guest presenter in one of the break out sessions!

Once upon a time the Christian College Preps went to Fairy Park!

On a very chilly Wednesday morning, the Preps from all three campuses headed off to Fairy Park. This wonderful excursion was a conclusion to our Kings and Queens Unit, and focus on narratives and fairy tales.

There were lots of ‘wows’, ‘ahs’ and ‘ohs’ as the bus climbed the hill to the wonders of Fairy Park. All the campuses had opportunities to explore the many stories set around the grounds, play in the playground of course, and enjoy their snack and lunch on a big day of adventure.

The sun came out and warmed our bodies as our hearts too were warm and filled with so much fun. The children spoke of so many highlights throughout the day. The playground definitely topped the list, which still has all the amazing features it has had for decades! Our little people had not seen some of these pieces of equipment such as an egg spinner and old school wizzy dizz.

Interdisciplinary Learning in Year 2

As a part of our Interdisciplinary Learning in Year 2, we have been studying different world continents and geographical history of ancient India. It has been interesting to learn about the sizable cities that used to live near the base of the Himalayas that later became the starting point of today’s India. There have been excellent discussions and questions asked as we delved into this new area of study.

Our Year 2 students have also been learning how our world is split into different continents and looked further into countries inside these continents. The students have conducted some research into language groups, native animals, populations and maps to create posters to demonstrate their learning and understanding. Did you know that the giant komodo dragon lizard is native to Indonesia and is very fast and deadly? Our Year 2 students have loved discovering these new ideas about their world.

Ancient Rome Celebration Day

This term, the Year 3 students have been learning about Ancient Rome. We have enjoyed this unit so much that we decided we needed to dress up and celebrate our learning.

We started our day with two rotations. The first activity was learning Roman numerals and a Kahoot! quiz with Mrs Johnson where we tested out all the knowledge that we have gained over the course of the term. It was so good to see how much we knew! The second rotation was a science experiment with Mr Brown. The experiment replicated the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD. This was really exciting (and messy!).

After recess we became Roman engineers! The STEM challenge was to make a working aqueduct that was at least one metre long. The students only had three materials to complete this challenge, masking tape, icy pole sticks and aluminium foil. While this challenge was taking place the students made a pizza each and then we all enjoyed an ice cream treat.

In the afternoon, we watched a documentary about how the Romans changed the world. We were excited to see that we have learnt a lot over the course of the term.

Ancient China Day!

We are delighted to bring you the highlights of an exciting event that recently took place on Thursday: Ancient China Day! This day was designed to allow our Year 4 students to showcase their learning of one of the world’s most fascinating civilizations, where they had the opportunity to reflect on the rich history and culture of ancient China.

The day began with an air of anticipation as students arrived dressed in traditional Chinese attire or a touch of red as a fortuitous colour for the day. The chapel was transformed with the students’ extensive learning on display via their devices as well as their carefully created Chinese artworks.

During Period 3 and 4 the students engaged in a variety of hands-on activities that brought ancient China to life. They had the chance to master the art of Chinese calligraphy, students practised writing characters with ink and brush, guided by expert calligraphers who shared the history and significance of this ancient art form. The students played Chinese checkers and tested their knowledge against Mr. Foran in the Ancient China Kahoot! They also channelled the historic Han dynasty, known for opening the Silk Road as they designed intricate lanterns with Mrs. Stap. The students then enjoyed some delicious fried rice and mooncakes over lunchtime and in the afternoon they made fun connections to their learning through watching the movie Mulan.

Enrichment and Enhancement in Years 3 and 4!         

This week the Year 3 and 4 Enrichment and Enhancement (E&E) students participated in the very first Junior School Speech Morning. The E & E students have been learning about speech writing and public speaking.

They had to choose a topic to research and write a 2 – 3 minute speech that included various elements such as facts, personal stories, questions. They have also been practising their public speaking skills, in particular pace, projecting their voice and expression. The students did a great job confidently presenting their speeches to an audience of families and teachers. It was a wonderful celebration of the students’ learning and great to see so many families attend this special event.

Junior School Cross Country and Run Club!

The Junior School Cross Country is scheduled to be held on Wednesday September 4 (Term 3 – Week 8). This day coincides with Health and Physical Education Day so it will be a perfect fit for this event.

Further details will be sent next term, but we will get Prep – Year 2 to run a 1km course around the school and Year 3 and 4 will be completing 2km.

Remember we have Run Club on Thursday mornings which will be great preparation for this event. If you have any questions please contact me – n.rice@ccg.vic.edu.au.

The Inaugural Geelong Combined School's String Festival

The inaugural Geelong Combined School's String Festival was held last night in the RW Gibson Auditorium. String students from Iona, Sacred Heart, Kardinia, and Saint Ignatius Colleges, as well as the Middle School String ensembles from Highton and Bellarine, combined for an afternoon of rehearsing and developing their string ensemble technique. They workshopped three new pieces before presenting a formal concert for families and friends. Our very own VCE Sting Ensemble also performed, using the opportunity to hone their skills, as well as serve as an inspiration to the younger participants through their presentation of themes from the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean". Thanks to all staff involved in making this event happen-it was truly epic to have over seventy string musicians gathered and performing in our wonderful performing arts space. Congratulations to all participants!

Generative AI Parent Webinar

A reminder to parents of this webinar which we held recently, with good attendance from parents.

We wish to make available a video recording of the webinar, as well as the parent and family guide handout that was promoted near the end of the webinar. The guide handout includes a summary of our current College guidelines for student uses of generative AI.

• Generative AI and School Parent Webinar Recording (includes chapter links)
• Exploring AI for Families Guide Handout (includes summary of College guidance)

During the webinar we addressed key parent questions. There was also an opportunity to share a follow up question after the webinar which we planned to respond to in this week’s Vine, however we did not receive any new questions.

Thank you for partnering with us in supporting our young people in navigating this new and emerging technology, particularly in the context of school and learning.

Gathering Hope

The Foundation was pleased to host their bi-annual Gathering Hope Appeal Luncheon on Friday, 24 May 2024 at Provenance Wines in Fyansford. With close to 80 guests in attendance, the event successfully raised $19K, which has been doubled, thanks to our current dollar-matching campaign, raising a total of $38K for the Foundation.

The guest speaker was Jossy Chacko, who generously gave up an entire day to support the work of the College and our local community. In addition to speaking at the luncheon, Jossy gave a devotion to our Senior School staff, spent time being scrutinised by the Year 10 Global Ethics class, and supported our local Christian radio station, 96three FM.

Seeking Christian College Company Members

Christian College Geelong is seeking expressions of interest from any parent or guardian interested in becoming a new Company Member.

Company Members play an important part in the governance structure and protection of the College. A number of positions on the Christian College Board are filled by company members, depending on the skillset required when vacancies arise, and it is the company members who have the responsibility of voting to pass any amendments to the Christian College constitution. Company members may also be eligible to sit on various committees involved in the governance of the College.

Whilst participating as a company member is not overly onerous, it needs to be pointed out that the position is voluntary and not remunerated in any way. Also, please understand an expression of interest does not guarantee automatic membership of the company.

If you have a heart for the College, and feel you would have the time to dedicate and an interest in this role, please contact the Company Secretary, Bernard Nicholls at b.nicholls@ccg.vic.edu.au. All expressions of interest must be submitted by COB Friday, August 2.

Camps, Sports and Excursion Funding

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes.

CSEF will be provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card (HCC) or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

• $150 for primary school students
• $250 for secondary school students

How to Apply

Application forms are available online through the Parent Portal (Student Information, then Important Forms for Parents) these forms can be downloaded, completed then uploaded according to the instructions. Hard Copy forms are also available from reception at each campus or by emailing enquire@ccg.vic.edu.au

The closing date for applications is June 28.

 For more information about the fund visit www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

National Collection of Data on Students With a Disability

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). With data collected on the first Friday in August (August 5 this year), the NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability.

These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD Guidelines.

Please see the attached NCCD Fact Sheet for more information.

NCCD Parent Fact Sheet

Golf Tournament 

Join the Christian College Foundation for an exciting four-person Ambrose Golf Day, including a $30,000 hole in one prize on Thursday, 24th of October at 13th Beach Golf Links, Barwon Heads.

Set on the stunning Bellarine Peninsula, the day provides an opportunity to enjoy the award-winning creek course, known for its undulating couch fairways, deep bunkers and interesting swales and hollows.

You will be treated to a scrumptious breakfast on arrival and an opportunity to participate in several fun activities including the longest drive, nearest to the pin etc.

There is plenty of prizes up for grabs, including a cash prize of $30,000. Score a Hole in One on the 12th Hole and you can win. *

You will also be treated to a delicious buffet lunch and learn more about the incredible work of the foundation. Every dollar raised will be dollar matched!