From the Head of CampusÂ
A Culture of Respect Â
Dear Families  Â
I hope this article finds you well and in good health.  Â
All members of our school community are active participants in building a welcoming school culture that values diversity, and fosters positive, respectful relationships. At Junior School and indeed across all of our campuses at Christian College we teach, model and promote values and behaviour in order to create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.  Â
We also recognise that students come to school with a variety of capacities for self-regulation, awareness of their social responsibilities, abilities to see things from a variety of perspectives and understanding of intent in their behaviour. In this diversity of awareness and understanding, staff work with our students and families to proactively build collaborative relationships that create a shared understanding of student learning, safety and wellbeing.  Â
Students come together in our school environment where they will encounter a variety of situations that may be challenging, just as you may experience challenges in your workplace. As adults you have had a life of experience in navigating things such as self-regulation, understanding and developing socially appropriate behaviours and have learned to take responsibility for your actions. However, as our young students come together, especially following two years of COVID disruption, they are learning and relearning how to manage this social landscape. We therefore ask you to partner us in growing the understanding of our young people and building their social capacity.  Â
One of the terms often used when social interactions are challenging is ‘Bullying’. This term is often misused and is well described by the ‘Bullying No Way’ Government website which states: Â
‘Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.’ Â
Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. Â
Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include: Â
- mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance) Â
- not liking someone or a single act of social rejection Â
- one-off acts of meanness or spite Â
- Isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence. Â
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However, these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved in partnership with students, staff and families. Promoting accountability towards one another and developing understanding is fundamental to the work we do with our students.  Â
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In a culture of respect bullying is a stark contrast to acceptable student behaviour and it is our policy that bullying be managed through a ‘whole-of-College community’ approach involving students, staff and parents/guardians. The College works proactively through its Wellbeing and Management Framework to empower students to navigate their social landscape.  Â
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Christian College Geelong recognises its duty to students to provide a safe and positive learning environment where individual differences and diversity within the College is respected and accepted and we look forward to our continued partnership with you in the nurture and care of our precious children. 
What’s on at Junior School
Week 7, Monday June 6th: Â
Thursday June 9th – Bush Prep  
Friday June 10th – Junior School Strings – Bellarine Campus Workshop (please refer to EdSmart notification)   Â
Week 8, Monday June 13th Â
Monday June 13th – Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday 
Wednesday June 15th – Year 3 & 4 Students visit to Senior Music House – Year 10 Drama Performance 
Wednesday June 15th – JS Music Evening 1: 4pm RW Gibson Centre – Senior School 
Wednesday June 15th – JS Music Evening 2: 5:30pm RW Gibson Centre – Senior School 
Friday June 17th – 2G Assembly Item  
Friday June 17th – Conclusion of Term 2, 3:25pm Finish Â
Chick, Chicks, Everywhere Â
On Monday the Preps welcomed three chicks and 12 eggs into their space. The Prep children have been learning all about farm animals and their needs. They have unpacked and discussed the ideas of who cares for these animals and the impact that the weather can play on their environment and their needs.  Â
Having chicks in our space to care for helps the children to put into practice some of what they have learnt. The children have already discussed the needs of the chicks, and the eggs, and how we can meet these needs.  Â
The Prep children have been reading information texts about chickens, creating chickens using various craft and hands on materials and writing about them as well. This is a really wonderful way to bring in the hands-on experience into the classroom.  Â
We even have a chicken cam! Thank you to Sascha, our amazing IT expert we can watch the chicks and eggs live. We even sent the live stream access home for families so they can check in on the chicks after hours. There of course is the added bonus of cuddles with these fluffy little ones.  
Some thoughts from Prep R  Â
Chicks have fluffy wings but that doesn’t mean they don’t have webbed feet – Lola Â
The chicks are cute – Hamish Â
Chicks can be different colours – Buster Â
Chicks have wings but they can’t fly yet – Mikayla Â
Chicks are fluffy but it doesn’t mean that their mouths can be fluffy – Eadie Â
Chicks have fluffy wings so they don’t get wet – Frankie Â
Chickens need food to survive – Zahil Â
Chickens need water to survive – Willow Â
Chicks have to come out of the eggs because their mum’s would be sad if they have a baby and it doesn’t come out – Tayla Â
Chicks need water and food to survive so they don’t die – Xander Â
Chicks can be warm from their Mum – Rocky Â
A chick is fluffy and their wings are fluffy as well – Isla Â
When the mother is not there and they died they get seen by a trained professional and they take the chicks to the school and put a camera so we could always see how they are doing – Celeste Â
Year 1 – Roaming Reptiles Â
As part of our Integrated Studies topic this semester about animals and their habitats, the children participated in an incursion: ‘Roaming Reptiles’. They were able to learn about the habitats of reptiles, insects and arachnids, and their key features that help them to survive. Â
The children were provided with information about staying safe around animals, particularly those found in our gardens. They were also able to handle some of the creatures, with the support of our educator for the session, Tracey. We learnt many interesting facts during the program and some of the animals that the children were able to build their knowledge about included: Charlotte, the tarantula, Beardy, the bearded dragon and Darth Vader, the python snake! Â
The children participated with great excitement and although some of the students were initially a little bit nervous with a few of the creatures and creeping insects, they are to be congratulated and encouraged for their willingness to ‘have a go’, in terms of patting or handling the different animals. Â
As Year 1 scientists, we are looking forward to using all of this new learning as we continue to investigate the different habitats of animals and write our information reports.   
Welcome to Country Â
This week the Year 2 classes have been participating in the school activities to celebrate and recognise Reconciliation Week. The theme for this year’s Reconciliation week is Be Brave. Make Change. Â
We read Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy. This is a wonderful story that welcomes the reader to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People. The Wurundjeri People are part of the land and the land is part of them. The story invites readers to discover some of the history and traditions of history of Aunty Joy’s people, the Wurundjeri People. The illustrations by Lisa Kennedy are as full of wonder and history as the tradition they depict. Â
We drew some beautiful Welcome to Country pictures this week and have written what our drawings mean: Â
My Welcome to Country picture has a campfire with three people surrounding it and on top of the people is Bunjil the eagle protecting them all. My picture also has a river with three fish that are orange and blue. If you want to eat, you take what you can bring back to the island. Sophie Â
My Welcome to Country picture has a firm bridge, brown stick huts, Bunjil the eagle, hot campfires, wobbly trees, big and small hills and lots of different things. People are holding hands and that represents togetherness and loving each other. Bunjil is watching everyone in Australia. Andrea Â
My Welcome to Country picture has people dressed in lots of colours and people in different shapes and sizes. It also has Bunjil the eagle in the air protecting us. Dara Â
My Welcome to Country picture has a night sky and Uluru. Stars were really important because the Aboriginals knew which type of weather would come just by looking at the stars. Tara Â
My Welcome to Country picture has rocks and water. The water has come in the rain and the people and animals in country use the water. Louis Â
 My Welcome to Country picture has a big pretty white moon and there is a shooting star. The shooting star means Bunjil the eagle is coming to protect everyone. Coco Â
My Welcome to Country picture shows that the Aboriginals use stars to see what the weather is going to be the next day. The river means that the Aboriginal people could get food and water from Country and so could the plants and animals. Daniel Â
My Welcome to Country picture has a love heart to represent how much the Wadawurrung people love each other and we love them and we treat them with kindness. The hut is something the Wadawurrung people make to live in and stay safe. The Wadawurrung people can tell what the weather is just by looking at the stars. The river helps the Wadawurrung people get food everyday like fish and some things. Macy Â
My Welcome to Country picture represents how hard the Aboriginal people worked to make this country beautiful. I have stars on my drawing, stars are important to the indigenous Australians because they could see the weather by gazing at them. Aria Â
My Welcome to Country picture represents the way the Aboriginal people can tell the weather by looking at the bright stars so it can help them know if they need to take cover. Asher Â
My Welcome to Country picture has a pink, yellow, red and orange sunset. My artwork also has a lake. There are three rock pools that the Wadawurrung people drank out of. Bunjil the eagle is watching over them. Nellie Â
My Welcome to Country picture means love, help, kindness and helping each other. Hamish Â
This is welcome to the Wadawurrung country. I like the tree but there are not many leaves on it. I like the pond and the stick fort. Billy Â
My Welcome to Country picture has a cave, river, huts, trees and Bunjil the eagle. Bunjil is watching over Australia and the river keeps rushing all day. Lachlan Â
My Welcome to Country picture has Bunjil the eagle who watches over all of us. My Welcome to Country has people living in harmony together. Bodhi Â
My Welcome to Country picture has Bunjil the eagle, stars, trees, a pond and some grass. They are all part of country and part of us. Angie Â
My Welcome to Country means helping the Country to survive as one. Jack  Â
May you always stand tall as a tree  Â
Be as strong as the rock Uluru  Â
As gentle and still as the morning mist  Â
Hold the warmth of the campfire in your heart  Â
And may the Creator Spirit always walk with you.     
Amen
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Christian Ed in Year 3 Â
 During our Christian Education lessons this term we have been learning about The Apostles – Paul and Peter. Â
Through conducting research, watching relevant biblical videos and exploring the content in our Jesus Storybook Bibles/Good News Bibles, the students were able to gather information to complete a God Mind Map project on ‘The Apostle Paul’. Â
When recording their understandings of God and the Apostle Paul, students made references to Paul’s books of the Bible, the letters he wrote and his past life before he became a Christian. Â
The students were highly engaged when reading about some of the major events that took place in his life such as being thrown into prison several times as well as being shipwrecked. Â
The Year 3 students were also able to compare Paul’s relationship with Jesus and God from when he was Saul to when he became Paul. Â
This exercise allowed the students to explore further their own relationship with God, recognising the gifts and abilities given to each of us by God. Â
Healthy Heroes – Geelong AFLW  Â
Earlier this term, Year 3 students participated in an interactive session hosted by Kate Darby and Zali Friswell from the Geelong Cats. As part of the Healthy Heroes program, students were able to build on their understandings about how to live a healthy and active life.  Â
Students were encouraged to ask questions, participate in some physical activity and watched clips on a variety of topics around health and wellbeing. The areas covered were; Â
- Hydration Â
- Screen Time Â
- Physical Activity Â
- Healthy Eating Â
- Wellbeing  Â
- Sleep Â
We would like to thank the Geelong Football Club for allowing Kate and Zali to visit the school and present on the importance of being healthy and active. All students received a booklet with ideas and activities related to the presentation. Â
Reconciliation Week  Â
This week at Junior School students have taken the opportunity to learn about the shared histories, cultures, and achievements of our First Nations peoples as part of National Reconciliation Week. The dates for National Reconciliation Week remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the Reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. This year the theme of National Reconciliation Week is ’Be Brave, Make Change’ and is a call to all Australians to be brave with their actions in their daily life – where you live, work, play and socialise. Â
We have enjoyed some deep learning this week, beginning with National Sorry Day on the 26th May. Each year, National Sorry Day falls on the day prior to the beginning of National Reconciliation Week and, marks the anniversary of an historic apology in 2008, which was given to the Stolen Generations on behalf of all Australians, by then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. We have supported our students to develop age-appropriate understandings around the Stolen Generations and, the impact this policy has had on subsequent generations, through text specifically created for young children sharing Indigenous perspectives and voices. Â
 Students have participated in daily Devotions focused on the importance of being in ‘right relationships’ with people and that the process of reconciliation is an important part of the journey that we all walk as Christian people of faith.  We have acknowledged the significance of understanding what the term ‘reconciliation’ means in terms of healing for our nation and that the concepts of truth telling and listening to First Nations people is a vital part of this process. Our students have shown a level of maturity and sensitivity throughout this week that they will take with them as they grow and, their level of understanding about the importance of their role in relation to the reconciliation process within our society is something to be commended. Â
Throughout the week students engaged with a range of educational opportunities designed specifically to help them build on their understandings about our First Nations people and our shared histories.  Â
We have enjoyed celebrating the rich cultures, languages and stories and are proud to live in a country that has the oldest living cultures in the world. I encourage you to talk with your children about their learning this week, I am sure that they will have lots to share with your family.  Â
Digitech – Exploring Hardware and Software in Prep  Â
What is a computer? What is hardware? What is software? How does it all work? Â
Prep students at Junior School have been exploring these questions and more this term, under our topic ‘Exploring Hardware and Software’ during Digital Technologies classes. 
We have discussed the main parts of a computer like a keyboard, screen, and mouse and how we use them and care for them. We have practised our letter and number identification to familiarise ourselves with the keyboard layout including the location of the ‘caps lock’ key, the ‘enter’ key and the ‘backspace’ key, building our capability to sign ourselves into the computers with our personal login cards. During classes over the last few weeks, students have created their very own DIY computer to practise signing in and have made some fabulous digital drawings using software programs to help create our masterpieces. 
Terrific job building your digital literacy and digital learning skills Preps! 
Japanese  Â
Konnichi wa Junior School family and friends, Â
I thought I would use this Vine article to give you an update on our Japanese room pets, the kingyo (goldfish) named Akarui and Ponyo by Seyara in Year å››. We have had these wonderful pets in our Japanese room for about 15 months now and are pleased to report that they are thriving. They have doubled in size and are living their best lives. In Japan, koi fish live in ponds and can grow to be enormous, nearly the size of a poodle!! If we put Akarui and Ponyo into a pond, I wonder how big they could grow?  Â
The table where Akarui and Ponyo live is in the back of our classroom. It is a place where students can have some quiet time and watch them swim around. It is very peaceful to watch them and perhaps imagine what they are thinking about as they swim through the weed and play chasey under the bridge. I have included an educational clip from Safe YouTube about how to draw the koi fish. Some students have done this exercise before so will enjoy perfecting their drawing skills. Please bring your creations to the Japanese room so we can put them up around Akarui and Ponyo’s tank so they can feel like they are surrounded by new friends. https://video.link/w/tKsvd Â
Sayounara Â
Messaging and Online Chat – Helping Parents to Keep Young People SafeÂ
One of the most challenging aspects of young people’s technology use for parents is messaging and online chat. Where age-appropriate, these apps and platforms enable young people to stay connected, be in the moment with someone, meet new people and collaborate with others.Â
However, it can be difficult for parents to be across every platform or app and to know what’s age-appropriate and what’s not. Where a young person sets up an account on their own without parent involvement, it can make it difficult for parents to ensure safety and be confident that the content being sent and received is suitable and safe.Â
For all the potential value and benefit these tools provide, they also often pose the risk of cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content or unwanted contact from strangers. It is an unfortunate but true reality that there are some people online who seek to connect with young people for the wrong reasons.Â
Discord, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook… Are they right for my child? Should I allow this app’s use? What are the safety and privacy features? How can I support my child in using this app?Â
Parents, be reassured that there is support and guidance for navigating the full range of apps and platforms that are popular with young people on both our own Online Safety Hub and from eSafety.Â
- Messaging and online chat (from eSafetyÂ
- Discord – parent advice (CCG Online Safety Hub)Â
- Snapchat – parent advice (CCG Online Safety Hub)Â
- Tik Tok – parent advice (CCG Online Sagety Hub)
Parents are encouraged to be aware of the minimum age for any platform and understand that many of these platforms are intended for adults and older teens. For many apps, the age recommended by cyber safety experts is older than the listed minimum age because of the potential risks.Â
At school, we prevent access to messaging and chat apps on our network. Access to messaging and chat is also prevented on College devices during school days for all students to support them with their learning and wellbeing.Â
Graduate Professional Development DayÂ
Learning is for more than just our students - Christian College is building a strong career foundation for new teachers.Â
Teaching can be a tough job— as any veteran teacher will tell you over the past few years. Finding ways to make it sustainable is imperative for the strength of our profession, student learning outcomes and continuing to build the quality teaching in our College. Our targeted mentoring program is designed to support graduate teachers and was further enhanced by our recent seminar day with visiting speakers from Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) and the Victorian Institute of Education (VIT).Â
Undertaking a career as a new teacher can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. The excitement of working in a dynamic and hugely rewarding profession is often complicated by administrative demands, professional development responsibilities, and the intricacies of a classroom. Further to this, a graduate teacher is developing their craft, building relationships with colleagues and families for the first time, learning new processes, the Australian curriculum, navigating the 37 professional teacher standards and undertaking a teacher inquiry for registration as a proficient teacher. Victorian Institute of Education’s Linda Blakis likens learning to teach with learning to drive, ‘When you get behind the wheel for the first time, it is daunting. Everything is new, you must consciously check everything before turning on the engine and there is so much multitasking required, but with practice, good coaching and time, these things become intuitive.’Â
At Christian College we are privileged to have a selection of graduate teachers on each campus, each are supported fortnightly by an experienced mentor teacher. Our mentors are intensively trained to assist these graduates through one of the most critical phases of their teaching career. Â
 To complement this ongoing mentoring, we were fortunate to have the expertise of Jackie Macreadie – Principal Consultant from ISV and Linda Blakis – Professional Practice Manager from VIT run a full day seminar for all graduates and mentors this week. This is a new initiative, one that few other schools offer, and we were immensely grateful for the time and expertise of our guest speakers. There was much engagement in the sessions, with collaboration and a buzz of ideas for their inquiry projects. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive for the value of this day for all who attended. We hope that it can become an ongoing opportunity for our staff development. A huge thank you to our leadership for supporting such a pivotal opportunity for our staff. Â
Golf TournamentÂ
The Foundation Golf Tournament is set for Thursday, 27 October 2022. Join us at 13th Beach Golf Links from 8:00am for a shotgun start. Tickets are $190 each ($150 for members) or $750 for a group of four. RSVPs close on Thursday, 6 October 2022 at 5:00pm.  
Funds raised from this event will be allocated to our Foundation Scholarship Fund, supporting current students who are in need of financial assistance. Â
Book online at: The Foundation Golf Tournament