Junior School Term 4 Week 2

Christian College Annual Music Evening 2024

An Outstanding Musical Extravaganza as Choirs, Bands and String Orchestras take the stage!

On Wednesday this week the Annual Christian College Music Evening showcased our college ensembles in a superb concert. This Annual concert is a significant event for our College Community, our music students and their families. It was a celebration, and a blessing to all who performed and attended, one that featured 450 student performers from Prep to Year 12. The concert highlighted the exceptional direction and expertise of our music staff, as well as the depth of skills and development across the performance program of our College Choirs, Bands and String Orchestras. We also farewelled and honoured the work of our Year 12 ensemble members who have spent many years ‘growing up’ in the program.

There were 16 items with many ensembles collaborating across the campuses, such as the Junior String Ensembles from Bellarine, Belmont and Surf Coast combining to create a big orchestra and the Middle School Choirs from the 3 campuses forming a wonderous combined choral sound. There were many moments of triumph and musical conviction, overcoming nerves and experiencing the joy of performing for the first time! The backstage buzz was amazing as students moved on and off stage, from item to item. The concert finale featured an acknowledgement of the College’s CEO Daryl Riddle OAM who will be retiring after over 40 years of service in leadership of the College. This item featured a video presentation, then a performance of the College hymn ‘Seek Ye First’ ‘introduced’ by an 8-piece brass fanfare from the balcony, and accompanied by the Senior Strings, Wind Symphony and Choir with the audience invited to sing.

The music staff, along with leadership and support staff from each campus were so proud of the students who presented beautiful music to the appreciative audience. Thanks to all who contributed to this wonderful event from across the Community, both on the evening and throughout the day of preparations and rehearsals.

From the Chaplain

The Beauty of Community 

What a wonderful start to the new term we have had as we explore the theme of ‘community’ and see the beauty of our community here at Junior School in action. From watching the Show Day entries arrive through the doors each morning with a wide range of passions and talents on display, to seeing the Year 4 students navigate new challenges and experiences on camp and hearing the voices of the Junior School Choir at the Annual Music Evening – our community is so incredibly and wonderfully diverse.  

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Bible uses the analogy of the human body with all different parts – eyes, ears, hands, feet, toes, fingers, the list is long! Every part of the body is valuable and essential in it being healthy and functioning well and this couldn’t be truer for the community here at Junior School. 

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.

Week 3 

Monday 21 October – Year 4 Transition Session 2: Year 4 students visit to Middle School Highton  

Monday 21 – Wednesday 23 October – Year 1 and 2 Intensive Swimming Program 

Tuesday 22 October – Lunchtime Concert 

Tuesday 22 October – Prep 2025 Sausage Sizzle Welcome Evening 

Tuesday 22 October – Year 10 Science Incursion visit for Prep students 

Thursday 24 October – Grandparents’ Afternoon 

Friday 25 October – Assembly, Prep B Item, 9am, Gym 

Show Day 2024

On a warm and sunny spring day, the whole Junior School community came together to marvel at the talents of our children and celebrate one of our biggest and longest running events – The Junior School Show Day.

Included in the day’s activities was a Sideshow Alley run by the Year 4s, Chapel displays, Art Show Walk, Bush Dance performed by the legendary Mr Smith and an animal nursery encouraging a ‘hands on’ animal experience.

On display in the Chapel were a large number of competition entries including flower arrangements, Lego constructions and decorated biscuits, just to name a few. Junior School staff had a tough job in allocating the awards and it was encouraging to see a high level of participation by the students who entered imaginative entries into the various categories.

The Side Show Alley, run entirely by our Year 4 students, was a central focus of the day. The Year 4 students displayed excellent leadership and service to their peers in preparing and running a stall designed to entertain and amuse. Stalls included face painting, mini- golf, tattoo parlour, ‘The house of fun’ and many more.

All in attendance had a great day, and I am sure everyone will sleep well tonight!

Introducing the Middle School Highton Team! 

It was wonderful to welcome Year 4 Parents and Middle School Staff to Junior School on Monday, giving parents an opportunity to put faces to names, enjoy a chat over a cuppa and catch a glimpse of what’s to come in Year 5. This was followed by the first meet and greet for our Year 4 students where many questions were answered. Thank you to Mrs Natasha Troop (Head of Middle School-Highton), Mrs Kathrine Bowyer (Deputy Head of Middle School), Mrs Hayley Moonie (Year 5/6 Coordinator), Mrs Justine Braeme (Year 5 Teacher) and Mr Josh Lees (Year 5 Teacher) for attending and helping to make this an important first transition for our parents and Year 4 students.  

Year 4 Parents are reminded of the upcoming Year 4 Readiness for Middle School session to be held on Tuesday October 29 at 4pm in the Middle School Chapel. Parents are students are encouraged to attend to learn more about what’s to come in Year 5 at Middle School-Highton.

Prep Students Learn About Motion with Year 10 Buddies 

This week, our Prep students had a special visit from the Mr Neaves’ Year 10 Science class for an exciting lesson on motion! Together, we conducted fun experiments using a foam ball and a basketball, exploring how different surfaces affect the height of a ball’s bounce. 

In the experiment, the students bounced both balls on a soft surface (carpet) and a hard surface (concrete) and carefully measured how high each one bounced. We discovered that the foam ball bounces lower than the basketball on both surfaces. Additionally, we learned that when you bounce either ball on a soft surface like carpet, it doesn’t bounce as high as it would on a hard surface like concrete. This is because the soft surface absorbs more energy, while concrete absorbs less, allowing the ball to retain more energy for a higher bounce. 

The students thoroughly enjoyed working with the Year 10s and engaging in these hands-on experiments. A big thank you to our Year 10 Science teachers for helping bring this fascinating lesson to life! 

1B’s Weather Adventures!  

In Year 1, we’ve been diving into the topic of weather! We have started a new activity that has everyone excited – creating a daily weather chart! Each day, we keep track of the weather. This activity helps us to understand how the weather can vary from day to day. 

This week, we have also been learning about the four seasons. We explored the different types of weather that come with each season and discussed how they affect our daily lives. To put our knowledge into action, we decorated a seasonal tree. Each student added their own touch by colouring the leaves with colours that match the different seasons – bright greens for spring, warm yellows and reds for autumn, and frosty whites for winter. 

We are looking forward to continuing our weather studies and analysing the data from our weather chart to find out which type of weather occurs the most often in our area. 

It has been a fantastic start, and we can’t wait to see what else we’ll discover about the weather in the weeks ahead! 

Inspirational Artworks 

Step into the vibrant world of our Art Extravaganza, where the corridors came alive with the incredible creativity of our students from Prep to Year 4. This event was a true celebration of their hard work and dedication to art. 

From whimsical 3D Papier Mache mushrooms and intricate pottery pieces to stunningly painted landscapes inspired by the beauty of Australia, our young artists have showcased their talents in a variety of mediums. Visitors were able to marvel at the skilful drawings, vibrant paintings, detailed printmaking, and imaginative sculptures and models. 

Those who wandered through our corridors couldn’t help but be amazed by the spectacular works on display. 

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!