Junior School Term 4 Week 4

Godly Play – The Nativity Story

With the help of a wonderfully skilled knitter within our Junior School community, our Godly Play box of the Christmas story is coming to life. Godly Play is an approach to Christian Education that, according to B. L. Timmer, ‘expresses a playful and intentional, deeply respectful approach to the spiritual nurture of children.’ With a focus on play-based learning, students are encouraged to use their imagination, creativity and wonder as they explore and bring to life, stories from the Bible.

Godly Play was designed by Jerome W Berryman as a way for students to journey faith, discern meaning and explore their purpose, all within an educational context. This form of storytelling uses 2D and 3D materials to tell a story including characters, landscapes and tactile objects.

At the end of the storytelling, students are encouraged to wonder and question based on the information shared and their own experiences. It also allows them to form connections with their lives and the stories of the Bible, providing each student with opportunities to weave threads of meaning into their world and participate in spiritual questioning.

We are so excited to integrate this tangible form of storytelling into our days here at Junior School.

What’s on at Junior School

Week 5
Monday October 30 – Hoop Time Regional Finals (Refer to EdSmart)
Tuesday October 31 – Year 4 Readiness for Middle School Parent session, 4:15pm, Middle School – Highton Chapel
Thursday November 2 – Emergency Lockdown and Evacuation Drills

Week 6
Tuesday November 7 – College Orientation Day, Prep through to Year 4
Wednesday November 8 – Discovery Learning
Friday November 9 – Remembrance Day Service
Friday November 9 – Assembly, Prep B Item

Week 7
Tuesday November 14 – Kinder Information Evening 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Tuesday November 14 -Geelong Library Network Meeting. 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Friday November 17 – Prep Camp Experience (Refer to EdSmart)

Week 8
Tuesday November 21 – 2024 Prep Transition Session 3; Buddies to spent time with new Preps.
Wednesday November 22 – Discovery Learning
Thursday November 23 – Year 4 Project Care stall
Friday November 24 – Student Leaders Assembly Item

Parent Survey Reminder: Generative AI, Education, Society and Future 

A reminder that all Christian College parents are invited to participate in a survey on generative artificial intelligence (AI), education, society and future to inform the College’s forward planning. 

• Take the CCG parent survey 

The parent survey is for all parents, regardless of their level of exposure to or confidence with generative AI. The survey closes this coming Monday, November 6 at 5.00pm. 

Thank you to parents who have already completed the survey. Your participation is appreciated. 

Parents who have not yet responded are encouraged to do so via the survey link above. The average response time for parents who have responded so far has been less than four minutes. We ask that you please contribute your perspective. 

Year 4 Families Welcome to Middle School – Highton

To support your own journey towards becoming a Middle School – Highton Parent/Guardian, we would like to invite you to a ‘Welcome to the Middle Years’ information session. This will take place in our Chapel at Middle School – Highton, on Tuesday, October 31, from 4.15pm – 5pm. While this session is targeted only at parents and guardians, teaching staff will be available to supervise your young person outside, should you need it.

This will be a time for us to share what life at Middle School is like and to offer some suggestions to prepare your young person for the beginning of their Middle Years journey. During this session you will have a chance to meet the Year 5 Teaching and Leadership Team for 2024.

We are aware that the transition from Junior School to Middle School can be challenging for some students and parents alike, so this session has been created to help us assist you through this season of change.

We look forward to welcoming you as we begin this journey together.

Grandparents’ Day – What a Celebration!

While the weather was a little shaky, Junior School opened its doors welcoming our Grandparents for the afternoon. From having a dance on the roundabout, listening to the choir sing, visiting the Torquay Book Sales tent, enjoying a Devonshire tea and a leisurely visit to the many learning spaces at Junior School, the faces on the students were beaming and our campus has never been so busy!

Thank you to all our families for braving the weather and visiting Junior School yesterday. This tradition has been long standing and important annual event, sure to live on in the life of Junior School.

Splendid Sundials in Year 2!

Did you know that sundials operate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and anticlockwise in the Southern Hemisphere?

Well, the Year 2 students have been learning many interesting facts about the use of Sundials throughout history and their importance.

In our Earth Space unit in Integrated Studies this term our investigations began observing our shadows and recording how they cast differently at particular times throughout the day. We acquired new understanding that the size of our shadows is dependent upon where the sun appears in the sky. When the sun appears low in the sky, our shadows are longer and when the sun appears higher in the sky, our shadows are shorter. When the sun appears directly overhead our shadows are the shortest. We also learnt that it is not the sun that moves, but the Earth’s rotation which makes the sun appear to move.

Year 3 Fizzics Incursion

In Year 3 we have been exploring Earth and Space Sciences in Integrated Studies. As part of this unit, we have learnt about rocks, minerals and soil and how they are valuable resources.

Last week we had a visit from Fizzics Education to further develop our understanding of the concepts we have learnt in class. The workshop included many hands-on activities where the students learnt about earthquakes and volcanoes, plate tectonics, rock types, landforms, and soil classification.

Some of the highlights included using the black light to show the fluorescent features in rocks, using a seismograph to measure a miniature earthquake, tectonic plate giant puzzle, and a recreation of a volcano explosion.

Grandparents’ Day in the Library

As always we were delighted with the response we received on Grandparents Day which was held on Thursday afternoon. We would like to sincerely thank our greater Christian College family for your generous support of Grandparents Day. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of so many of our grandparents.

We had a large number of books donated, with over 120 added to our collection. Please be patient with us as we process, catalogue, print the book plates off and cover your donated books.

As soon as they are ready, we will borrow them out to your child and send them home to share with your family. Once again, a huge thank you from the Junior Library!

World Teachers Day

In classrooms across Australia today, a dedicated, passionate and well-trained group of people, around 450,000 in fact, went about their work, teaching and guiding our nation’s four million young learners. These incredible humans perhaps chose their profession for a multitude of reasons, but I suspect one of the primary motivations was a love of learning and discovery that they wish to pass on to the next generation of young people.

Today, Friday, October 27th, is World Teachers Day. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and achievements of our teachers, and the positive impact they have on the education, character development and future pathways of young lives.

Christian College Geelong is blessed to have an amazing group of teachers – from Kinder all the way through to Year 12. As you immerse yourself in this week’s Vine, can I encourage you to do two things. Firstly, as you read each article, give thanks for the teacher or teachers who wrote it. If the article is written by a student, give thanks for the teacher behind the story. And secondly, be encouraged to branch out beyond the campus your young person attends, and take in the incredible depth and breadth of learning experiences and opportunities for students across all our campuses. Articles made possible because of the wonderful work of our teachers. Articles that celebrate the learning that takes place daily, led by our teachers, in the hundred or so classrooms across our College. And articles that bear witness to the rich, diverse experiences that students gain outside the classroom – the camps, the excursions, the incursions, the music events, sports activities and so on – all thanks to the teachers who plan, organise and supervise them.

I’m so grateful the teachers we have at Christian College.

So, hats off to our teachers.

The Importance of CPR Training and AEDs

You may have read a media report recently where CPR was administered to a cyclist in Highton, following a cardiac arrest. The incident took place just outside the Middle School Highton campus. 

The first person on the scene was Associate Professor at Deakin University – and Senior School parent – Lara Fuller, who had just dropped her son off at school and was driving on Thornhill Road when she saw the cyclist fall from his bike. Whilst Lara administered CPR, a Middle School maintenance team member quickly accessed one of the campus’ strategically placed AEDs – automated external defibrillators – and brought it to the scene. According to Lara, the AED played a vital role in saving the man’s life.

The incident was a timely reminder of the importance for schools and other community organisations to be prepared in the event of a life-threatening emergency. It is a requirement of our school’s registration that all staff undergo Basic First Aid training every three years, with CPR refresher courses required annually. And each of our campuses are fitted out with one or more defibrillators (AEDs) depending on the size of the campus, as per government requirements. For the one located in the Sports and Aquatic Centre at Highton campus, it proved to be a lifesaver. 

Ambulance Victoria is currently running a month-long awareness campaign, called “Shocktober”, which highlights the importance of learning CPR and how to use an AED. They have included this story on their website, which you can read here. 

To quote Lara: “I really encourage people to do CPR training because it’s actually not hard and it’s such an important skill.”

Get Some Unique Christmas Cards and Support Williams House

This year Williams House is selling packets of Christmas cards designed by our own little artists!

We are selling our Angel/Shepherd cards for $5 for a pkt of 6 and our Nativity cards are $7 for a pkt of 10. Each packet contains either 6 or 10 different designs.

If you would like to support the kinder and share our creations with the community this Christmas, the cards are available at all CCG campus receptions and of course at Williams House. Payment can be made with cash or card.

We also take over-the-phone orders with direct deposit. Phone 5241 3556

All money raised will go towards making some new additions to our outdoor yards!

We hope you love these gorgeous creations and enjoy sharing them with your family and the community this Christmas!

With thanks from all the children and the team at WH!

We’re Hiring – Canteen Assistants

Are you looking for a fun and fulfilling casual job within a vibrant school environment? Join our team as a School Canteen Assistant and make a positive impact on the daily lives of our students.

We are currently in search of enthusiastic canteen assistants to join our team at our Middle School-Highton canteen.

Applicants are required to hold a valid Working With Children Check. Previous experience working in a canteen setting or Level 1 Food Safety Certificate would be advantageous but not essential. Responsibilities will encompass a range of tasks, including food preparation, customer service, cleaning, and stock control.

Shifts are available throughout Monday to Friday, aligned with the school calendar which constitutes 38 weeks per year. Hours are generally 9-2pm.

For a Position Description and how to apply, visit this page on our website.

Qustodio Parent App Resources

Supervise and Support Your Children on School and Personal Digital Devices

A reminder to parents that the Qustodio Parent App is available to all parents to help them supervise and support their children with their online and digital interactions at home, on both school laptops and on personal devices.

In addition to information available on the College’s Online Safety Hub, parents also have access to some helpful ‘bite-size learning’ video tutorials to help them navigate and user the Qustodio Parent App as part of our school program. There are lots of short videos to help parents get the most out of the app and use it confidently.

• Browse all the Qustodio bite-sized learning video tutorials

Some recent additions to these tutorial videos for parents include:

• • How to view your child’s online activity through the parent app
  • How to configure and use the Qustodio daily time limit feature (for personal devices)
  • How to configure and use the Qustodio restricted times features (for personal devices)

I hope that these resources empower parents to continue to supervise and support their young people at home and engage in supportive and positive dialogue about digital wellbeing.

Jam for Refugees

Tomorrow, Saturday October 28, at St Paul’s Church in Latrobe Tce Geelong, two Christian College ensembles are part of the lineup at Jam for Refugees, a fundraiser to support the work of Geelong’s Combined Refugee Action Group. It’s a full day of diverse music featuring our’s and other school ensembles, various choirs and performers, and sharing by local people who are active in refugee advocacy in Geelong and the region. It runs from 11am to 9pm – entry is by donation – come when you can, leave when you must…enjoy some great music, thought-provoking messages and support an important local cause. 

Foundation Golf Day 2023

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, we are delighted to announce the Christian College Foundation Golf Day tournament for 2023.

Save the date: Thursday November 9.

We are seeking prizes for this event – if you own a local business and are interested in creating partnership opportunities with Christian College, please contact Fiona Provan on 0400 477 467, or email f.provan@ccg.vic.edu.au