Junior School Term 3 Week 4

Our Village (Geelong Mums)

As we continue to support the work of Our Village (Geelong Mums) here at Junior School, over the next few weeks, we are collecting single bed fitted sheets, an incredibly practical and in-need item for families within the community seeking support.

Should you have any single bed sheets that are no longer being used and are still in good condition, you are invited to drop these off in the collection box in the Junior School foyer over the next few weeks. During Week 9, these sheets will be donated to Our Village (Geelong Mums) by some of our Project Care Leaders.

As we continue as a community to explore the book of Proverbs this term, this week during staff devotions we read Proverbs 11:25, ““A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”.

We are encouraged to be generous, not always with possessions but also generous with our time, generous with our kindness and generous with our passions and gifts.

Our ongoing relationship with Our Village offers students the opportunity to be involved in caring for others in practical and tangible ways. Thank you again for your consistent support, it has been so wonderful to see how the donations from our community help others in need.

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 5  – National Science Week &  ‘Bullying No Way’ Week – National Week of Action Against Bullying and Violence 

Monday August 12 – Emergency and Lockdown Drills 

Wednesday August 14 – Junior School Science Family Expo, 3.30pm (details to come!) 

Thursday August 15 – Prep Excursion to Senior School Campus – Science 

Thursday August 15 – Year 1 Excursion, Aldi Supermarket 

Friday August 16 – Assembly, 1R Class Item, 9am 

Science Expo is Coming To Junior School

Science learning plays a crucial role in our lives, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. We are very invested at Christian College in the science education of our students. Whether it be biological science at Prep where children explore plants and farm animals or the water cycle at Year 4 and the impact of erosion in the Otways.

Science education harnesses the ability for students to analyse and evaluate experiments and information, using the evidence presented to draw conclusions. As our students build their knowledge and understandings, we are able to branch out and show connections between information.

Science education fosters a passion for learning and cultivates communication skills. Discussions around how we can best tackle a scientific problem encourage students to make observations, explore solutions and shapes their capacity to make evidence-based decisions.

 Library News – Book Week Initiatives

We are excited to announce that Junior School will this year be taking part in The Great Book Swap during Book Week. 

This is a wonderful initiative that raises much needed funds for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. This is how it works…. up until Friday August 16, bring in a book you no longer want from home to donate. These books need to obviously be in good condition and something you think a student at Junior School would like.  

Then on August 20 after the Book Parade each class will get a chance to visit the book stall and choose a book to take home. We also ask that on the day you send along your gold coin donation to this important cause. In this way we can support other children and their reading and take home a new book that we would like to read. 

As always, our Book Parade will take place on Tuesday August 20 and students are encouraged to come dressed as a favourite book character. Each year I am amazed at the costumes and creativity shown by our school community. The theme for this year is Reading is Magic. 

Building Connections in School

There is an inherent need for us as humans to be connected and have relationships. Building relationships and connections within a school is pivotal to the success of all. There is also a lot of research that highlights the link between how connected students feel in their school community and their academic success and confidence. When students form strong connections with their teachers and peers, they are more likely to be academically engaged, exhibit stronger social skills, and display more positive behaviour. These relationships act as a catalyst for motivation and learning, creating an environment where students feel supported and valued. We are very lucky to be in a school that allows our children to journey with us from three years old all the way to their conclusion in Year 12.

This term our Prep and Year 3 children have started heading over to Williams House to build connections, or reestablish some, with the Kindergarten children. This is a key part of not only our relationship building but our Transition Program. The Prep children read to the Kindergarten children, showing them how much they had learnt in the first two terms of school. This is a great opportunity for our Preps to practise their reading and build confidence in their skills.

Preps Celebrating 100 Days of School!

It’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached a significant milestone in our school year—100 days of learning, growing, and having fun! The 100th Day of School is more than just a number; it’s a celebration of the hard work and progress our students have achieved so far. Let’s take a moment to reflect on this exciting day and what it means for our school community.

On this special day, our classrooms were buzzing with excitement and creativity. Students participated in a variety of activities designed to celebrate the first 100 days of school. From creating “100 Days” crowns to engaging in fun math challenges involving the number 100, the day was packed with educational and entertaining moments.

We were so excited to welcome the Senior School prefects to Junior School and they showed their exceptional leadership skills and warmth as they interacted with our young Prep children. The prefects lead four rotation activities and were encouraging and sociable throughout their time.

Wildlife Exposure in Year 3 

On Wednesday this week, the Year 3s enjoyed a fabulous Wildlife Exposure incursion. 
This term the students have been learning about living things and their lifecycles. We began our unit looking at what makes something living using the acronym MRS GREN. This acronym is used to help remember all the necessary features of living organisms, Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion and Nutrition. The students then looked at the animal classes and the features that help us to categorise them. 
During the incursion the students were able to draw upon this prior knowledge and answer many questions that our host, Earl, presented to them as well as interact with some amazing Australian animals. We were introduced to a stick insect, possum glider, green tree frog, barn owl, saltwater crocodile, long neck turtle, shingle-back lizard, and an olive python! Many students were captivated by these creatures, and many had the opportunity to hold or pat them. 

Olympic Fever at Junior School!

It’s been a massive two weeks in Paris with the 2024 Olympic Games. It has also been a busy time at Junior School with lots of students been given the opportunity to participate in some Olympic themed activities at lunchtime.

Students have passed, jumped, dodged, thrown, hit and kicked objects earning some valuable house points for participating in a number of sports. A couple of the more popular sports were tennis and hockey.

The weather has been very favourable which has allowed a lot of students to enjoy sports such as football, hockey, javelin, discus, hurdles, equestrian, relay and hurdles.

A big thank you to the House Leaders for their help, and to the regular students for coming each day to support this event.

Celebrating our Teachers as Lifelong Learners

The Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) is a year-long professional learning program for highly skilled teachers, supporting and challenging them to become even better teachers. Between 2022 and 2024 we have had 10 teachers leading the way among Victorian teachers in this groundbreaking education initiative. 

Program overview: 

Through the program, teachers analyse their teaching practice to deepen their pedagogical knowledge in their chosen discipline. They access contemporary, evidence-informed research and apply this learning to their students’ learning needs through a practitioner inquiry approach. Through an independent and second collaborative inquiry, they expand their knowledge, capability and confidence to teach even more effectively in their context. Throughout the year, teachers reflect on their teacher identity, develop expertise in learning dispositions and reflect on the growth of themselves as learners. Supported by a team of Master Teachers-in-Residence, the TEP teachers engage with national and international expert educators in a diverse range of learning events and activities. 

The TEP is open to highly skilled teachers with a minimum of  three years’ teaching experience from the Government, Independent and Catholic sectors, and across all classroom settings. 

A Special Musical Event – Save the Date

CCG Music is hosting a recital by renowned Australian pianist Andrea Lam. Pronounced a “real talent” by the Wall Street Journal, Andrea performs with leading orchestras and conductors across Asia, Australasia and the USA including the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the major Australian symphony orchestras.

On Thursday evening August 22, following a masterclass and workshop with our senior pianists Andrea Lam will perform a public recital at the R.W. Gibson Centre for Music Performance.

Andrea’s upcoming album release  ‘Sad Piano’, solo piano works by Matthew Hindson AM is due for 2024 release on Idiom records (UK). You can discover more about Andrea’s work here.  

Matthew is one of the most-performed and most-commissioned composers in the world, and a leading Australian composer of his generation. As well as being performed by every Australian orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic among many others, Matthew’s music has been set by dance companies such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, the Queensland Ballet, and the Sydney Dance Company. Matthew is the Deputy Dean and Associate Dean (Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. More information about Matthew is available here.  

A Christian College parent, Matthew will also attend the recital on August 22.

All are invited to this special event – tickets are $40; $30 conc.; $10 student. Visit this Try Booking page to get your tickets!

Scholarship Applications Now Open!

Scholarship applications for Year 5, 7 and 10 entry to Christian College in 2026 are now open. You can access all the information you need, and apply, by visiting our website. There is a hotlink at the top of our homepage that takes you there, or just click here.

The scholarship testing date is Saturday October 12 and all applications must be received no later than close of business on Thursday October 3.

Seeking Support for Work Placements

Students studying the VCE Vocational Major (VM) are timetabled to work with an employer related to their VET course all day on Fridays. This is called Structured Workplace Learning (SWL). There are some prefilled forms to sign and there is a minimal cost of $5.00 a day to the employer. We are seeking workplace opportunities in the Plumbing, Building and Electrical trades. If you or someone you know are willing to help these students, to get a start in their chosen careers please contact myself k.fearnsides@ccg.vic.edu.au or Mary Higgins m.higgins@ccg.vic.edu.au  at Senior Campus. Thank you in anticipation of some support.

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!