From the Head of Campus
Finding the joy
Hi there, I hope this finds you all well. I am not sure if it was the cold freezing my brain or lack of sleep, but I must admit I was a bit challenged in finding something that I thought might be valuable for you to read in this last edition of The Vine for Term 2.
Just as I was continuing to try and find inspiration there was a knock at my door and two students from Prep R came bubbling in. They had been creating in class and one had chosen to make and give me a bracelet made from beads and pipe cleaners. At that moment I knew what I wanted to share and that was ‘finding the joy’. In our all too busy world of checklists, long lists, work lists and life-in-general lists, sometimes it is hard to stop and find the joy. That single moment of giving and receiving provided an opportunity for an exchange of joy that filled my bucket and I pray also gave joy back to the student.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit which can help us overcome all kinds of adversity. In Nehemiah 8:10 it says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” When we gain strength from God, we receive the fruit of joy. Scripture also tells us that when we lose our joy, we can become victims of despair and even sickness. For example, in Proverbs 17:22 it says, “A cheerful heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick.” Has disappointment or a broken heart ever made you feel unwell?
Furthermore, in Proverbs 15:15 it says, “When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right!” Have you ever noticed how your moods can affect your whole outlook on life? When you’re feeling down, it can seem like nothing’s going right, and everyone around you irritates you. But if you’re feeling particularly cheerful one day, almost nothing bothers you. When you’re filled with the joy of the Lord, you feel strong, capable, and ready for anything.
Joy is an attitude we have toward life’s experiences. As we view the events of our life, we can choose to be resentful, or we can choose an attitude of gratitude and a commitment of joy. Joy is our best choice. We have joy when we learn to take our circumstances and the ups and downs of life in stride. We lighten our load in life and draw others to us by having a joyful heart.
It is a privilege and a pleasure to partner with you, our families, and celebrate the joy at Junior School together. I pray that as you go into this mid semester break that you too have someone knock on your door who wants to share the joy with you.
PS Here is my beautiful bracelet!
Ann-Marree Weigl, Head of Campus
What’s On at Junior School
Term 3, 2022
Week 1, Monday July 11th
Tuesday July 12th – First day of classes for students
Tuesday July 12th – Junior School Commencement Assembly
Friday July 15th – Year 2 Aquatic Program Commences (Please refer to Edsmart notification)
Week 2, Monday July 18th
Tuesday July 19th – Student Learning Conferences, 4-7pm (Please refer to Edsmart notification)
Thursday July 21st – Student Learning Conferences, 4-6pm (Please refer to Edsmart notification)
Staffing Announcements
As Semester 1 draws to a close, I wish to share with you some information in relation to our staff at Christian College Junior School Belmont. As you may be aware Mr Stewart Armitage has been on leave for Semester 1 2022 from his role in teaching the Digitech curriculum. We have been thrilled to have Mrs Emma Anderson in this role during Mr Armitage’s absence. Mr Armitage has recently shared his intention to retire from teaching and we wish him well as he undertakes this change of direction. We are so excited to announce that Mrs Anderson will continue in this role for the remainder of 2022 which will allow for continuity for the students in their learning.
You may also be aware that Mrs Hannah Clark has been on leave for Semester 1 2022. Hannah has also been a much-loved member of the CCG family and has relocated with her own family to the Mornington Peninsula. She has therefore shared that she has made the difficult decision to resign from Christian College Geelong due to this relocation. Hannah has shared that it is goodbye for now but not forever.
The first two weeks of Term 3 will also see Mr Mark Foran taking some well-deserved long service leave. During these weeks, we are blessed to have Mrs Julia Muhlenburg teaching and caring for the students in 4R. Mrs Muhlenburg is well known to the students through her casual relief teaching at the Junior School. As our Student Learning Conferences would normally take place in these first two weeks our families in 4R will have the opportunity to meet with Mr Foran in Week 3. We thank-you in advance for your understanding in needing to delay these conferences until Mr Foran’s return.
Our beloved Milton, who has worked for Christian College for over 23 years, has also made the decision to conclude his time at Christian College and therefore will not be returning in Semester 2 2022. Milton has been our Grounds and Maintenance staff member for all my time at Christian College and I will, as I know all staff will, miss him for the heart he brings to Junior School. We wish Milton every happiness in his future endeavors and are thrilled to announce that Eugene Zonneveld, who is also a long-standing member of our community, will be our maintenance staff member alongside Drew Young as our continuing groundsmen.
Finally, we wish to share that Mrs Tracey Coffey will be taking long service leave for all of Semester 2 2022. We wish Tracey well as she heads to sunny Mildura to spend time with her family and pray that this time is full of blessings. We are pleased to announce that Mrs Tash Cooper will teach and care for the students in 4B during Mrs Coffey’s absence. Mrs Cooper is very well known to the students and has been a long-standing staff member, and student, of the Christian College Community. We know that 4B is in excellent hands.
Ann-Marree Weigl, Head of Campus
Student Learning Conferences
We are looking forward to hosting Student Learning Conferences at the beginning of Term 3.
The aim of the conferences is to provide parents with the opportunity to discuss your child’s current progress and application in each of their Homeroom subjects.
The Student Learning Conferences will be available on either Tuesday 19th July, 4:00pm – 7:00pm or Thursday 21st July, 4:00pm – 6:00pm.
To book a Student Learning Conference appointment with your child’s teacher please access the online booking system at www.schoolinterviews.com.au (http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/) using our school’s event code. The Online Conference Booking Information document attached includes the event code and full instructions to make your bookings. Please take note of the opening date: Monday 4th July and closing date: Monday 18 July.
Please also find attached a document which outlines the steps for you to participate in the online Teams conferences. We encourage you to forward any queries regarding accessing the online conferences to our IT Specialists by contacting helpdesk@ccg.vic.edu.au
Ann-Marree Weigl, Head of Campus
Rapid Antigen Tests For Term 3
Today Junior students will receive a set of RATs. While we wait for further direction regarding the requirement of RATs, we ask that students continue with testing to commence Term 3. Please note, while students have been provided with RATs for week 1 of Term 3, the new delivery will cover weeks 2, 3 and into week 4. We thank you for your support in beginning Term 3 with testing.
Carla Dunlop, Deputy Head of Campus
Bush Prep
The Prep children have thoroughly enjoyed their Bush Prep adventures this term. In particular they have loved building huts out of the many sticks, running down the big hill and climbing trees.
We have seen a lot of growth in their safe risk-taking behaviours, collaboration and creativity. It is wonderful to see how the children use the space and also care for it. Some children have really enjoyed having the opportunity to draw pictures of the space and use their Investigations books to draw their observations. Others spend their time digging holes and uncovering ‘fossils’.
Our final Bush Prep session included having a fire and toasting marshmallows. This was certainly a highlight of all the Bush Prep sessions across the term. There were many smiles and lots of positive comments about the delicious marshmallows too!
Our last session for the term may have been a cold and wet day, but the children were full of laughter and energy as they dug holes, climbed trees and drew their observations of the area.
The children then followed up on all their fun at school by writing about their Bush Prep explorations. Some snapshots of their writing are below:
At Bush Prep it was wet. At Bush Prep we had marshmallows. – Hamish
At Bush Prep it was raining and it was fun. We had marshmallows and we had a fire. – Celeste
At Bush Prep we had fun. At Bush Prep we made tomato soup. At Bush Prep we had marshmallows. – Buster
At Bush Prep we had fun. We roasted marshmallows. I splashed in puddles. I sat on a tree. – Tayla
At Bush Prep I toasted marshmallows and splashed in the puddles. I went on a log. – Isla
At Bush Prep we had fun and it was wet. At Bush Prep I made marshmallows. – Joshua
We will be heading back out to the bush next term as our exploration of the space continues.
Julie Shutie
Year 2 Mathematics
There was no better way to round off the semester for Year 2 Mathematics than to delve into the topic ‘Money and Financial Mathematics’.
Whilst the outcome for Year 2 is for students to count and order small collections of coins and notes according to their value, pre-assessments showed that there were students who were yet to consolidate their ability to recognise and order coins according to their value, and others who were able to represent money in multiple ways and calculate change to the nearest five cents.
Fortunately, with hands-on activities and great resources, differentiated learning allowed the students to consolidate prior learning and to work on the outcome applicable to their needs. Grapples such as ‘I have three coins in my pocket. I wonder if you can work out how much money I have?’ were also helpful tools for gauging understanding and providing opportunities for students to work at a suitable level.
To conclude the unit, students were provided with an opportunity to go toy shopping. They were given an amount to spend on a selection of toys and were required to add the total and then calculate the change.
Connecting the learning to a real-life situation is one way to keep the students engaged and to help them see the relevance of what they are learning.
Anne Spence
Amazing Erosion
This week in Integrated Studies, our Year 4 students examined how natural processes and human activity can cause changes to Earth’s surface through the processes of weathering and erosion. Students drew a coastal environment and used scientific language to describe the erosion processes, whether it be through wind, water, heat or ice.
Examples of weathering around Junior School were examined and recorded to demonstrate the effect of natural and human processes in action. Students were challenged to think about how vegetation may reduce the amounts of erosion around natural environments.
Mark Foran
From the Prep – 2 Coordinator
At Christian College we help the children to develop a range of skills. There are certainly a lot of content understandings to develop but there are also a number of competencies that are necessary as well.
As part of our approach to this we use Building Learning Power as a framework to assist in the development of these skills. You may have seen on our school awards the characters Rachel Reflectiveness, Robbie Resourcefulness, Ruby Resilience and Roy Reciprocity. You may have also heard your children refer to some of the key skills that the BLP characters teach us!
Each character has key ideas that are important for students to develop for them to reach their full potential in their learning. One of these characters, Rachel Reflectiveness, is of particular importance as we come to the end of the term. Her key skills are planning, revising, reflecting and awareness. The end of the term is a good time for children to reflect on their own learning and look to future goals.
This is a process we undertake in the classroom often and discuss with the children their learning that have completed and look towards the future for their own personal development as well as the curriculum and planning development we implement.
I met with some Prep to Year 2 students and asked them to reflect on their learning for the term and also consider where they may head next term.
I’m really proud that I started making my own book and I am so happy about it. I think it will be great to learn new things next term. Tayla Prep R
I’ve been really good and Investigations. I can play together with other people to build things. Darcy Prep M
I did so good with my writing and I tried my hardest. Next term I want to keep writing and write about kangaroos. Jack 1B
I have learnt my friends of ten and I am proud of my artwork in Art. I would like to read longer books by learning and practising at home. Theo 1G
I have improved in Maths because I have been learning more. I need to work on doing more writing more often. Tijani 2R
I think I’ve improved on my writing because last year it was quite messy and now it is really neat. I think I need to write more detail next. Bodhi 2B
You may like to chat with your own children about their learning across the term and how they may plan for future goals.
Julie Shutie
Lego Masters Finale!
Each Tuesday lunchtime this term has seen fierce competition. Many bricks have been carefully placed to create various creations. We’ve seen the tallest towers and the strongest bridges. And the last three weeks have had Junior School’s creative juices flowing. In the Year 3/4’s penultimate competition trophies were designed and constructed to be handed out to the winning teams for the following weeks’ finales.
The final challenge for Prep-2 last week and Year 3-4 in Week 8 was to make a food creation. We saw pizzas, burgers, hotdogs, fruit, whole kitchens and even a thermos of mac and cheese. It was a tough competition that saw our students’ growth mindset tested and pushed their abilities to work as a team.
The final trophy was presented to one of four teams, initially selected by the BrickMaster and then voted on by all participants.
Congratulations to our Prep – Year 2 winners, Indy and Maksim from 2G. They created a very fresh red apple!
Congratulations to our Year 3 & 4 winners, Henry, Feivel and Charlie from 3G on their delicious fruity blueberry!
These students have their creation and trophy on display in their classrooms.
Well done and thank you to all who joined in the fun each Tuesday over the last term.
Steve Horman
Hoop City
This week, Year 3 and 4 students who are registered basketballers had the opportunity to participate in a skills and drills session at Hoop City. We were warmly welcomed by current Geelong Supercats player, Gabe Hadley and his team who ran some passing, dribbling, shooting and 3 v 3 activities, with students enjoying the brand-new purpose-built facility.
Hoop City is open to junior basketballers and have some basketball programs running over these school holidays. Please refer to the holiday programs in The Vine. It was pleasing to receive feedback how well all students listened to the coaches and cooperated well with each other during the session. We would like to thank Hoop City for this great opportunity.
Nick Rice
What We’ve Loved This Term in Library
Our most borrowed book this term is Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey, which has been popular once again, off the back of the movie release. This is followed very closely by a new book Rainbow the Koala by Remy Lai, a graphic novel based on a true story. Cranky Chicken by Katherine Battersby is our third most borrowed book and a new book A Berry Long Walk by dynamic duo Laura and Philip Bunting is our fourth. The fifth most borrowed book for the term was Click by Kayla Miller which has been very popular with the Year 3 and 4 students.
This Semester, we as a Junior School, have borrowed a grand total of 7225 books across a wide range of titles. It is wonderful to see the Library so well loved and utilised. I hope these holidays our Junior School families can find some time to enjoy reading together.
Deanne Elliss
Junior Strings Day
Last Friday, the Junior String Ensembles from Surf Coast, Belmont Junior School and Bellarine campus gathered together for the first time ever! The excited students were brought together in the Bellarine Auditorium to form a super-sized String Ensemble, which rehearsed two pieces before a short break in which the students from different campuses got to mingle freely with other like-minded string musicians.
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 “Mister Croc Scratches his Back” and “Samba”, where the string students wowed their audience with some Samba dance moves led by Mrs Trish Timmins!
It was wonderful to see these young musicians band together so seamlessly and participate so fully, especially after the last few years that have seen limited performance opportunities and limited cross-campus interaction. We look forward to presenting these two pieces at the Spring into Strings evening scheduled for late next term. Thanks to Jeannette Carnie our wonderful cello teacher and the piano accompaniment staff of Stephanie Lawrence, Tammy Treloar, who assist with rehearsal and to Lesley Walters, who stepped out of retirement to help us on the day.
Thanks also to Music Admin for helping get this event off the ground and to Mr Andrew Dunlop who cooked all the sausages for our lunch time sausage sizzle.
Strings Rock!
Martin DeMarte on behalf of the strings team.
Talented Young Musicians Strike a Chord at the Junior School Music Evenings
In Week 8 nearly 30 young Junior School performers took to the stage in the acoustically beautiful RW Gibson Music Performance Centre at Senior School. Parents, teachers and friends enjoyed the experience of listening to students from Prep to Year 4 perform their instruments, including violin, piano, trumpet, clarinet, cello, viola and voice. Congratulations to all of our young musicians and their dedicated Instrumental Music teachers for your hard work and performance preparation. Thank you to the Music Department for hosting these special evenings. To all of our budding young musicians – keep practising!
Carla Dunlop, Deputy Head of Campus
Global Academic Challenge
The Global Academic Challenge (GAC) is an academic competition for high achieving students offered through the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER). All challenge results were compared and reported against national and international standards.
A select number of students who were identified by College faculty directors and teaching staff participated and this included seven Junior School students. These students were identified as being students who could engage with an academic challenge designed to assess achievement beyond year level curriculum and requiring the demonstration of higher levels of curriculum-based skills and thinking.
In total, Junior School received two Distinctions and five Credit awards. These students were celebrated by their teachers and peers at the end of term Assembly. We are very proud of the way they participated and for the fine results they achieved.
Octavia Rae
CCG Senior School: Passion, Purpose and Pathways
At Christian College’s Senior Campus in Waurn Ponds, our commitment is to help students explore their passions, discover their purpose and find their pathways.
During the first week of Term 3, all parents of Year 9 students at Highton and Bellarine Campuses are invited to the Senior School Information Evening on Thursday July 14.
This year, for the first time, we are also inviting parents, families and others from outside of the CCG community who may be interested in choosing Senior School – Waurn Ponds in 2023 and beyond for their students to complete their secondary schooling.
This is a wonderful opportunity to:
- Learn more about the transition program designed to help students settle into life and learning on the Senior Campus
- Meet and hear from key support staff including Heads of House, Chaplains and Careers Counsellors
- Learn about the Year 10 academic program and progression towards VCE and Vocational Pathways
- Discover the many benefits of the Senior School House system including House carnivals, House Music, Wearable Art and lunchtime House competitions
We would strongly encourage all members of the Christian College Community to spread the word about this event, and those planned for our other campuses, among friends, neighbours, colleagues – anyone who may be considering schooling options for their children.
Please see next week’s Vine and watch our social media platforms for more details about the Senior School information evening and the events scheduled at other campuses during Term 3.
Have you Taken the 5min Cyber Safety Parenting Quiz?
With school holidays almost upon us, now is a great time for parents to review their approach and strategies around managing screen time and technology in the home. Not sure where to start? Family Zone has free parent webinars on ‘Managing Screen Time During School Holidays’, ‘Popular Games and Their Dangers’, ‘My Kid is Better at Tech Than Me’ and many other topics available via their events page.
Did you know that our own CCG Online Safety Hub also has a helpful quiz to support parents with this?
Complete the cyber safety parenting quiz to receive a safety rating for your family and useful hints and tips on areas that you can focus on to keep your family safe online. Why not complete an audit of your home’s cyber safety and get advice on how to improve it and keep your loved ones safe?
School holidays are a great time for having constructive conversations with young people about their technology use and referring to the tips and feedback from the parent quiz may be a useful way to begin such a conversation with your child.
From the Canteen
Thank you again to all who assisted with Canteen at Junior, Middle and Senior Schools this semester. We hope all students and families enjoy the break ahead.
With Term 2 finishing today, please note that if you inadvertently placed an online order for next week, this money will be refunded to you.
Heather Smith, Canteen Manager
School Holiday Sports Programs
With the school holidays upon us, there are some great sporting opportunities for our students around Geelong. Please find below some programs available during the holidays.
Soccer - Football Star Academy
📣 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗩𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗜𝗡 𝗚𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 ⚽
📲 Scan the QR code on the attached flyer to book now or click this link: https://bit.ly/FSAHolidayCampsGeelong
💥 Pick days that suit your schedule
✅ Sessions to suit all levels of ability and experience
👏 UNDERCOVER pitch
🏆 Professional coaches
⚽Keep your child active and having fun over the school holidays
Places are limited so be quick to avoid disappointment.
Feel free to get in contact if you have any questions: Emily 0484 135 332/ vic48coach.football@sportstaracademy.com
Kelly Sports Program flyer
Kelly Sports Program
Jonathan Ryan, Operations Manager
National Collection of Data on Students With Disabilities
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 (this year, on the 5th), 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 (2021).
Please see the attached NCCD Fact Sheet for more information.
Golf Tournament
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.
Book online at: The Foundation Golf Tournament
Uniform Shop Hours During Holidays
During the second term school holidays, please note the following hours apply for the Christian College Uniform Shop in Centreway Arcade, Belmont:
Monday to Friday, June 20 – 24: Closed for stocktake.
Monday June 27: Uniform Shop re-opens, normal trading hours.
A MYTERN Thought for This Week
Try not to fixate on your rear-view mirror and judge your past choices.
At the beginning of every day, we get to choose how we will respond to the roads that may come our way.
Use that responsibility wisely. Be aware of the PETs (Personal Emotional Tools) that you may use to help regain or maintain control.
Don't waste time blaming. Grab that wheel and take control. It's worth it 👍🙂
Discover more about MYTERN here.
