Junior School Term 3 Week 5

From the Head of Campus  

This term as a whole College staff we have been focusing on the wisdom found in Proverbs and I wanted to share one with you today.

A few years ago, I was struck by a presentation by Aimee Mullins who is an American athlete, actress, and public speaker. Aimee, now 49, was born with a medical condition that resulted in the amputation of both of her legs beneath the knees and she competed in the Paralympics in 1996 in Atlanta. 

In her Ted Talk in 2009, (I would encourage you to Google her), she shared her experience with the word disabled. I am not sure if I was struck by the presentation because of its inspiration or because her experience was one I could personally relate to, but Aimee described the definition of this word as an assault on her as an adult and expressed gratitude that she did not know this definition as a child. 

Aimee states that “Our language affects our thinking and how we view the world and how we view other people. In fact, many ancient societies, including the Greeks and the Romans, believed that to utter a curse verbally was so powerful, because to say the thing out loud brought it into existence.”  So, her challenge was to really think about what reality do we want to call into existence? 

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 6 

Monday 19 August – Year 4 Excursion, Museum and Imax, (details to come!) 

Tuesday 20 August – Annual Book Week Parade, (details to come!) 

Tuesday 20 August – The Great Book Swap for Indigenous Literacy (details to come!) 

Wednesday 21 August – Prep Discovery Learning 

Friday 23 August – Staff Development Day, student-free day 

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. 

Canteen Update

Junior Canteen will be closed on the last day of this term, Friday September 20, but will be open on Wednesday September 18.

Thank you.

Science Expo: An Afternoon of Discovery and Learning

Wednesday afternoon Junior School was buzzing with excitement as we hosted our first Science Expo, a showcase of student learning and hands-on science activities.

From dioramas to posters, books to reports, the event highlighted the remarkable learning journey of our students and their growth in the area of Science. Families were able to wander through the rooms and see the learning from across the year levels. It was lovely to see the students share their learning experiences with their families and talk about the new knowledge, connection to other information and various skills they had developed.

A further highlight of the afternoon was the hands-on activities that built on the science concepts being showcased. There was a germination experiment in Prep, simple machines and forces in Year 1, elasticity and absorbency in Year 2, animals and habitats in Year 3 and erosion exploration in the sandpit from Year 4. The varied concepts show the progression and development that occurs across our Science program and the cumulation of knowledge as the years go on.

We thoroughly enjoyed opening our doors and having so many families come and join us for a fabulous science afternoon. We look forward to more events like this, where students can continue to shine and showcase their learning.

Bullying, No Way! National Week of Action 

Bullying, No Way Week, is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative and connects schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying. 

The theme for this year is ‘Everyone belongs’. When we all feel like we belong, bullying struggles to find a place. It’s about embracing who we are, respecting everyone’s differences and standing up together against unkindness. 

Belonging means we all have a role in preventing bullying. We’re encouraged to speak up and create a safe place where everyone feels supported and respected, and our voices are heard and valued.  

This year, Junior School marked this special day by signing an “Anti-Bullying Pledge”. Each student was invited to place their “signature” on a pledge stating that they will strive to live out our College Values of Faith, Hope, Truth, Grace and Love and stand up against bullying.  

Our Village – Single Bedsheet Drive 

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. 

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.

Preps Visit Senior School and Explore the Indigenous Garden

Our Prep students recently had an exciting excursion to the Christian College Senior School, where we had the opportunity to explore their beautifully maintained Indigenous Garden. This visit was a perfect complement to what we’ve been learning in class about what plants need to survive.

In our Prep classroom, we’ve been growing our own grass, carefully observing the effects of sunlight on its growth. We discovered that our grass grows faster when left outside on the bricks in direct sunlight compared to when it’s placed on the windowsill in mild and shaded light. We’ve been very thankful for the sunny days, which have helped our grass thrive.

At the Senior School, the older students and their teachers proudly showed us their garden, which features a variety of indigenous plants. The students shared their knowledge about these plants, explaining how they care for them and the importance of using native species in gardening.

One of our Prep students was particularly thrilled to see the grass he planted begin to sprout, exclaiming that it was “the best day ever!” This visit not only enriched our understanding of plant life but also inspired us to continue caring for our own growing plants with enthusiasm and patience.

The day was a wonderful blend of learning, exploration, and excitement, and we look forward to continuing our journey of discovering the wonders of nature.

Fantastic Financial Fun

Over the past few weeks, our Year 1 students have been diving into the world of Australian currency. They’ve enjoyed hands-on experiences with coin rubbing and creating various amounts using our classroom’s play money.

Our focus has been on adding coins to form different amounts, always keeping in mind that 100 cents equals 1 dollar. The students have worked in small groups to find multiple ways to make specific amounts, fostering collaboration and creativity.

The highlight for many has been our interactive games, where students collect coins, and the one with the highest total wins. Our Money Bingo has also been a hit, challenging students to add up their coins and match the amounts to items on their game boards.

To put their skills to the test, students recently planned a party. They selected items from a catalog for food and decorations, calculated the total costs, and then determined the notes and coins needed to pay for their choices.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed this marvelous money unit and were so excited to put our new skills into practice during our excursion to Aldi on Thursday. Let’s see what treasures our students bring back!

Twisted Fairytales

In Year 2, our students have been looking at fairy tales. This week we have read a twisted fairy tale for the 3 Little Pigs, as written by Jon Scieszka. In it, we heard the story from the wolf’s perspective and how it was all a big misunderstanding after he was asking his neighbours for a cup of sugar while he had a cold.

This week in 2R, we have been creating our own twisted versions of the fairy tale. Although we haven’t all completed this yet, we are making some interesting and exciting twisted fairy tales with some unusual endings to the 3 Little Pigs story. Some of our endings include the wolf getting eaten by the pigs, some with explosives and others working on conflict resolution. It has been wonderful to see the creative minds of our Year 2s at work.

Physical Education at Junior School

With the lovely weather this week, the Preps and Year 1 students have been enjoying their PE lessons in the sun. This week we played soccer, basketball, and practised throwing and catching out on the basketball courts. The students have also been training hard for the Junior School Cross Country in a few weeks’ time. They have practised running the 1km course around Junior School and it has been great to see their endurance and stamina improve with each training run. The highlight is having Winnie the wellbeing dog join in for some of our practices!

Scholastic Book Club News

Issue 6 of Scholastic Book Club has been distributed to students and orders should be placed online by Friday, August 30.
Our payment method is via LOOP either using the mobile app or the desktop site which can be found at https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx
Please do not send cash as we are unable to process cash payments.
Thank you for your assistance and continued support of Book Club.

First Day Free OSHC Offer for New families

Exciting Update to Qustodio Parent App

Extended Parent Features in Qustodio for School Devices

Since the introduction of our Cyber Safe Schools Program in 2022, in partnership with Linewize, we have been able to aid parents at home to engage with and support their children in their digital journey on both school and personal devices.

The Qustodio Parent App, as one element of our program, has empowered parents to supervise their children’s use of school devices at home, pause internet and access expert advice via our Online Safety Hub. Until now, an expanded feature set has only been available to parents when managing personal devices also.

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.

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!