Offering a Wonderful Menu 

Over the past few weeks, we have provided our families with Subject Expos to assist students to make decisions and selections for their subject choices. We also took the opportunity to invite prospective families to attend the ‘Sample Our Menu’ sessions, seeing first-hand the extensive range on offer in our Junior, Middle and Senior School contexts. Attending these events provided me with a wonderful sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that our staff and subject leaders have created for our students. The rich learning opportunities are remarkable. My thanks to the campus leadership, the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Mr Antony Benson, the Faculty Directors, the staff, and the students involved for their collective efforts to curate and present our college program in such an extensive fashion.  

Piloting and Sharing Great Learning Opportunities 

We have been blessed having Harvard University Project Zero Principal Investigator Flossie Chua return to our college to work with staff on two important programs we have been piloting in partnership with other independent schools and our peak body, Independent Schools Victoria (ISV). Flossie visited our campuses two weeks ago to observe our staff and students interacting in lessons that have been trialling a framework taking ‘Ideas into Action’ using a range of strategies in a quest to translate ideas, (principles, plans, good intentions, etc.) into action on the ground.  The work undertaken by the Christian College team was later shared with other partner schools where it received high praise. The ideas that our students were exploring takes their learning beyond the classroom to make an impact in our world and community, addressing environmental and social justice issues, as well as access and equity, as part of their collective focus.  

Flossie returned this week to launch a new pilot program focusing on ‘Transformative Repair’, a concept both Flossie and I have shared with staff and our community on previous occasions. This project looks at how strategic and sustained engagement with transformative repair as an artistic practice, can create supportive conditions for individuals and communities to find personal and broader purpose. This is particularly relevant and applicable in times of unprecedented uncertainty and challenge and encourages us to design effective ways to “repair” communities both literally and figuratively. The team working with Flossie will be preparing a strategic launch of this project for our college in 2023. Together with the work that our Wellbeing Team are producing, this is a very timely and supportive element of our demonstrated care for our community. 

Our staff are loving the unique opportunity to work with Flossie and to collaborate with staff from other schools, alongside the ISV, in this important work. It is nourishment for their practice, and a powerful encouragement toward enhancing professional growth. 

Partnering With Wellbeing 

I wish to highlight the incredible work currently being done by our Wellbeing Team. The framework we have shared with you previously, designed to guide our care and support programs, is now beginning to take shape. Wellbeing involves many aspects of College life, and we are addressing each aspect strategically - from developing our Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy support, to creating a ‘Community of Respect,’ and working within our curriculum to further enhance the designated Wellbeing sessions. A particular focus we want to highlight is the cyber world that our young people navigate. To that end I commend the Parent Information Evenings which will be held on both September 1st and September 8th. I strongly encourage all families to attend and to invest this hour in support of our young people and our community. The evenings are planned to create a partnership, allowing us to work together in this complex environment, for the benefit of our students. Please register and come along. I look forward to seeing you there. 

Reconciliation Action 

Yesterday, I had the privilege to meet with the committee working to establish our college Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Since 2006, RAPs have enabled organisations to sustainably and strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation around core principles of relationships, respect, and opportunities together to support our journey with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The committee will be co-chaired by students and consists of representatives from our parent community, staff, our College Board, and myself. We have incredible support from Taryn Marks, our advisor, who is mentoring and guiding us to develop a meaningful RAP which will support us as a community, fostering shared conversation and future direction, as we seek to grow in our awareness and knowledge. 

Providing Important Feedback 

Families will have received an email invitation from ISV Data to complete LEAD Surveys - part of our way of reflecting upon our practice, processes, and culture. This feedback is benchmarked and used to monitor longitudinal data and trends which can assist us with our strategic and operational planning. I would appreciate as many families as possible responding to the survey to ensure that we capture a valid sample of responses. Staff as well as students at some year levels will also participate in this survey. It is important to hear both positive and constructive feedback. I hear parents say that they chose not to complete the survey because they are happy with the College, but we would appreciate hearing that information through the collected data. To gain a represented perspective from all college stakeholders, we would appreciate a larger sample of contributions to this survey.  

A Seat in the Room where it Happens 

I was invited to participate in a roundtable conversation at Parliament House in Canberra last Friday, called by the Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare MP. The meeting was attended by all the State and Territory Education Ministers and representatives from all education sectors, teacher unions and tertiary institutions. The focus of the meeting was to address the issue of teacher workforce shortages, and matters relating to initial teacher education, and the demands and conditions that impact teachers. As a community we need to seek solutions to these concerning issues.  

It was a privilege for me to be afforded a voice to speak on behalf of my independent school colleagues and the communities we lead and care for. It was refreshing to witness time being invested by our ministers from across the nation to listen to our voice. There is much work to be done, but I left with a deep sense of hope, seeing our leaders presenting a genuine appetite to address the fact that the teaching profession needs to receive greater respect and support to best meet the complex needs of the young people in our schools today and in the future. 

As always, I continue to hold my colleagues in education in high esteem, and I remain grateful for the significant and vital work they do each day in their classrooms, and throughout the broader community. They invest generously in the lives of students and indeed families. I look forward to further conversations and action plans addressing the delivery of collective support for the important work done by Teachers.  

As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education is the key to eliminating gender inequality, to reducing poverty, to creating a sustainable planet, to preventing needless deaths and illness, and to fostering peace. 

Why wouldn’t we support and respect our teachers? 

It begins with each of us. I believe in the power of education and in the shared partnership that we enjoy with students, families, and the College - working together with purpose to make the world a better place and to see humankind flourishing. We each have a responsibility to value and support one another in this process. 

To conclude, I offer one more quote from Nelson Mandela; “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.” 

Week 8: Monday August 29th  
Thursday 1st September – Bush Prep, Prep B, G, M & R
Friday 2nd September – Fathers’ Day Stall (Edsmart notification to follow)
Friday 2nd September – Footy Colours Day Project Care Casual Dress (Edsmart notification to follow)  

Week 9: Monday September 5th
Tuesday 6th September – Year 4 Bike Ride (EdSmart notification to follow) 
Wednesday 7th September – Junior School Cross Country (EdSmart Notification to follow) 
Friday 9th September – Student Leaders Assembly 

Week 10: Monday September 12th
Monday 12th September – Year 1 Camp (Please refer to EdSmart notification)
Monday 12th September – Health Heroes Prep Visit 
Tuesday 13th September – Year 5 students visit Preps
Wednesday 14th September – Year 3 Camp (Please refer to Edsmart notification)
Thursday 15th September – Bush Prep, Prep B,G,M,R
Friday 16th September – Conclusion of Term 3; 2:30pm Dismissal 

I would respectfully request that if your child is 8 years or above, does not have a mask exemption and does use the College bus service that you speak with them about the necessity of having and wearing their own face mask. It is important that all students take responsibility for their own behaviour and keep face masks on whilst travelling.  

Thanking you in anticipation of your support with meeting the face mask requirement, as it is considered a measure to help keep our community healthy and safe during the current rise in COVID-19 and Influenza cases. 

The College policy for Junior and Middle School states that mobile phones if brought to school need to be handed to and locked away by homeroom teachers at the beginning of the day and will be returned to students at the end of the school day. For our students if the smart watch can make and receive calls, send and receive messages, and take photos then it is being used in the same capacity as a mobile phone, and therefore the same rules do apply to smart watches.  

Should your child require a Smart watch for the purposes of bus travel with features of receiving messages, sending messages, taking photos etc. enabled they may do so with the above process of handing this into homeroom teachers at the beginning of the day.  

Should you need to communicate with your child during the course of a school day please either contact reception on 52 411 565 or email junior@ccg.vic.edu.au and you will either be able to pass on a message to your child or speak with your child directly.  

Should you have any concerns regarding this information please feel free to email junior@ccg.vic.edu.au 

Thank you for your understanding with this matter.

The second is in relation to dogs in the yard. Many students have anxiety around the presence of dogs and that is why we implement programs at Junior School such as the Responsible Pet Ownership- Living Safely with Dogs program. Should you wish to bring your dog to Junior School I would ask that you make contact with your child’s homeroom teacher to arrange a specific visit. In this way we can prepare the students and ensure that the visit is a positive one. I would respectfully request that if you have not made an arrangement for a specific visit by your dog that they are NOT brought onsite at any time during the day.  

Thank-you once again for your efforts in considering our children’s safety in the school grounds. 

Deakin District Athletics 

Next Thursday 25th August, we have 19 students from Year 4 who have qualified for the Deakin District Athletics Championships at Landy Field in South Geelong. Students will be participating in a variety of track and field events.  

(Please refer to Edsmart notification for details.)

Year 4 Bike Ride and Bike Ed 

Year 4 students have commenced their Bike Ed program in PE and Sport sessions. I have been pleased with students’ ability to adapt riding in larger groups and their communication with each other. The main goal of the program is to develop bike skills and awareness when riding.  

The Annual Year 4 ‘all day’ bike ride will be held on Tuesday 6thSeptember. We are looking forward to inviting parent helpers to assist on the day. If parents are wanting to come along, please contact me via email, n.rice@ccg.vic.edu.au. You will need to hold a current Working With Children’s Check and a bike for riding on the day.

Junior School Cross Country 

We are looking forward to hosting the Junior School Cross Country on Wednesday 7th September. All students will be able to participate on the day with Prep to Year 2 students completing a 1km track and Years 3 and 4 students 2km.  

This will take place at school with Preps commencing around 11.30am, Year 1 and 2 at 12.15pm, Year 3 at 1pm and Year 4 at 2.30pm. These times may change, however we will confirm the details leading up to the event.  

After reading the Bible story of ‘Noah’s Ark’, the children shared how brave Noah was to follow God and that he was a very kind and faithful person. The students were set the task of creating their own pictures or puppets of Noah, and as a class, they also completed a picture collage, displaying illustrations that represented different parts of the story.  

The children were then provided with the opportunity to retell the key events, and as they recounted the Bible story of Noah’s Ark, they were able to describe the different settings, whilst at the same time building their skills of presenting information to an audience. 

As we continue our journey through some of the stories of the Old Testament, the children will also be learning all about the adventures and challenges faced by people throughout the Bible, including ‘David, who had to face Goliath’, ‘Jonah, who was helped by a whale’, and ‘Daniel, who was thrown into the Lions’ Den’.  

Year 1 students have been learning the language of colour coding, enabling them to build upon their programming skills and send our Ozobots (colour code sensing robots) along a colour coded pathway. Students have delighted in getting ‘hands on’ with the Ozobots, marvelling at these little bots when their colour code sequence, during a decision-making task, works! 

Year 2 students have moved beyond the coloured markers and paper and onto their devices. Using ‘Blockly code’ to create program algorithms, students can upload their programs directly onto the Ozobots, where tasks like mazes and directional challenges can be explored. 

As coding becoming more prevalent as technology advances, who knows, we might just have the next Bill Gates or Paul Allen (Microsoft founders) or Dr Radia Perlman (contributor to the creation of the Internet) in our midst within the next few years! 

Keep striving for your goals and remember that ‘the expert in everything was once a beginner’.

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Please do not send cash as we are unable to process cash payments. 

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