From the Executive Principal

As we come to the end of a year of connection and reflection, I want to take a moment to consider all that we have accomplished together. This year has been filled with growth, learning, and countless moments that remind us why our school community is so special. Our graduation events, celebration events and awards presentation events these last two weeks have given us so many moments of joy and pride in the achievements of our young people. 

Wednesday night’s Community Christmas Carols event was another beautiful example of the strength of our community, with over 1000 attendees. It brought joy to our children, connection to our families, and a sense of togetherness among staff and the wider community. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces as they sang, seeing our senior student musicians shine, watching families relax and enjoy the evening, and sharing that festive spirit with everyone was truly magical. 

On the topic of celebrating achievements, you may have noticed a lot of media coverage over the last few days around the release of Naplan results nationally. No child’s value is measured through a single test, and as a school we love to celebrate the achievements of our students in all aspects of life and learning, including sports, music, service, endeavour and academic achievement. Naplan is not perfect, but it is a valuable indicator of academic achievement. As a school we have been taking a deep dive into analysing the data, tracking trends over time, identifying areas of strength and always looking for areas of improvement. We also know that test results can change dramatically from year-to-year with cohort effects. 

Merry Christmas From Junior School

As we approach the end of another wonderful school year, I want to take a moment, on behalf of all the staff at Christian College Junior School, to express our heartfelt thanks to all our families for your support and partnership throughout 2025. Your genuine contributions to making Junior School a place where our students can flourish do not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful.

This year has been filled with many outstanding achievements, memorable moments, and inspiring celebrations of student growth. Together, we have created a nurturing and enriching environment for our students to thrive. It has been a privilege to witness their curiosity, creativity, and resilience as they have embraced learning and grown in character and faith.

As we celebrate the festive season, I wish you and your family a joyous and peaceful Christmas. May your holidays be filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year, refreshed and ready for new adventures. Please note that our students’ first day of school will be Thursday, 29 January 2026.

A Christmas Blessing

As we come to the close of another wonderful year at Junior School and step into the Christmas holidays, it is my heartfelt prayer and blessing that every family will experience the love, hope, and joy of God in this season, even in the smallest and most unexpected ways.

Christmas reminds us of something incredible: that because of God’s great love for you and me, He freely and willingly gave His Son so that we could know Him personally and experience all that He has for us.

As John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This is the greatest gift we will ever receive—a gift that brings life, love, peace, and hope that lasts beyond the holiday season and is always with us. May we never lose sight of the wonder of His birth and the hope it brings.

What’s Happening at Junior School?

2026 Commencement
Thursday 15 January: Campus Administration Open 

Term 1, Week 1 

Thursday 29 January: First day for students, Term 1 2026 

Friday 30 January: Canteen open 

Term 1 Week 2 

Tuesday 3 February: Year 4 Device Rollout 

Our Year 4 Rockstars!

Throughout this year, our Year 4 students have embraced using TT Rockstars as a way to strengthen their skills in multiplication and division. This fantastic website allows students to build their knowledge at their own pace but also have the fun of challenging each other to battle it out in the TT Rockstars arena!

Two competitions were held recently – the Geelongish Rocks (involving local Geelong schools and the surrounding area) and Oz Rocks (schools from across the whole of Australia). Christian College was well represented across our campuses and our Year 4 students especially enjoyed the opportunity to earn points for our school.

Congratulations to the following students for their awards across the Year 4 classes: Robbie Purcell, Max Qi, Arthur Shiu, Jesse Grills, Laksh Hooda, Alex Wilkins, Aiden Yi, Elijah Minne, and Benji Hillier. We are so proud of you!

This platform is available for all Year 4 students to use outside of school time and is a valuable resource for improving number fluency. We hope our Year 4 students can keep up the great work over the holidays and bring it through to Middle school and beyond!

Library Wrap Up

This year has been a joyful one in the Junior School Library. Our students have borrowed a combined total of 18,172 books. It thrills me to see our Library being so well utilised and valued by our community. We have also seen the introduction of some new lunchtime clubs; Pokemon Club is on Tuesday run by Sterling and Fletcher and The Book Whisperers on Friday initiated by Molly and Duomi. Our Family Borrowing on Monday after school has gone from strength to strength, and we are excited to introduce a Thursday afternoon in 2026, as another option for busy families for after school borrowing.

In Term 4 we have had the opportunity to participate in the Geelong Advertiser Picture Book reviews and received our first books to review. I look forward to further participation next year and seeing our student reviewers published in our local newspaper in 2026.

Thank you to our community for the way you value reading and our Library. We wish all our families a fabulous Summer of reading and connecting through reading with each other. We are happy to recommend some great family summer reads, so if you are looking for ideas, please email me d.elliss@ccg.vic.edu.au for a list of age-appropriate recommendations.

We wish our beautiful community a safe and peaceful Christmas.

Prep B Christmas Kindness Cards

Today in Prep B, the Christmas spirit was truly alive and shining! Our classroom was filled with joy, excitement, and the warm glow that comes from spreading God’s love in meaningful ways.

To celebrate this special season, the Preps spent the afternoon writing Christmas Kindness Cards. Each child carefully thought about someone they wanted to bless—whether it was a friend, a teacher, a family member, or someone who might need an extra smile today. With crayons, textas and lots of hearts, they created beautiful cards filled with thoughtful messages and festive cheer.

It was wonderful watching them show kindness so naturally. They used their writing skills to encourage others, their creativity to bring joy, and their growing understanding of God’s love to share the true meaning of Christmas. The most beautiful thing of all – seeing the joy on the students’ faces when gifting/receiving their cards.

As we move closer to the birth of Jesus, our Prep students are shining examples of generosity, compassion, and Christmas joy. What a blessing it is to see them grow not only in their learning, but in their kindness too.

Merry Christmas from Prep B!

May God’s love continue to sparkle through all the little moments this season brings.

Computer Club is Back and Buzzing!

Every Thursday at lunchtime, the Digitech room transforms into a hub of creativity, curiosity, and clicking keyboards! Students dive into exciting programs, online activities, and hands-on digital challenges that help grow their tech confidence and skills.

Whether they’re crafting colourful PowerPoints, typing terrific tales, levelling up their keyboard and mouse mastery, or taking their first steps into the world of coding, there’s something for every eager digital explorer.

Who can join?
Everyone is welcome!

• Prep & Year 3 students join us on odd weeks

• Year 1 & Year 2 pop in on even weeks

• Year 4 students alternate each Thursday and bring along their own device

Computer Club is the highlight of the week for many students—fun, friendly, and full of discovery. So come along, log in, and let your imagination run wild!

Spreading Christmas joy in 2B

In 2B, we have been busy spreading Christmas joy as we celebrate the end of a wonderful year together. Students have loved getting creative, crafting bright cardboard gingerbread houses and making thoughtful Christmas cards to share with their families. Our classroom has been filled with laughter, excitement, and plenty of festive spirit as the students proudly showcased their hard work.

It has truly been a wonderful year in 2B. We are so proud of how much each student has grown, learned, and achieved. What a joyful way to finish the year!

Year 4 Bike Ride

The Year 4 students completed the annual Jason Mahoney Bike Ride around the Barwon River on Wednesday. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day. Students had completed numerous sessions at school during the Bike Ed program and were able to put their bike skills into practice. The focus of the program was to develop confidence and awareness.

Many students were able to achieve lots of success and demonstrate lots of perseverance and resilience to complete the day long activity. We were able to reach Barwon Valley Park in good time which allowed us to offer an extension of the ride, with 11 students completing another section up to the Queen’s Park Bridge. In total students rode about 24km, with the extension group clocking up 30km.

The students were exceptional and cooperated well by supporting each other throughout the day. A big thank you to all the teachers and parents who contributed to the success of the day. A special thanks to Brad Morris for driving the mini-bus and our wonderful parent helpers Sean, Lee, Steph, Suze, Sally, Bernard, Joel and Ellery. I would also like to thank the Junior School staff, for their continued support of the Bike Ed program as well as our Sports Department, Matt Murnane, Jonti Wylie and Archer Jacques.

Well done to everyone who was involved. I hope this provides students with the motivation and skills to continue enjoying riding.

Thank You to Our Book Club Monitors

As a school community, we would like to acknowledge Paige and Jiaai for their excellent work as Junior School Book Club Monitors throughout 2025. They have been responsible for handing out order forms and distributing books to each grade, Paige and Jiaai have carried out these tasks responsibly, with enthusiasm and with a positive attitude, demonstrating their commendable leadership qualities.

Congratulations to Paige and Jiaai for their wonderful efforts and support with Book Club.

🌿 Native Planting in our Sensory Garden 🌿

We have finished off the year in Garden Club with some final plantings in our sensory garden. With some of the funds raised from our stall, we purchased some Balm Mint Bush (prostanthera melissifolia) and Twiggy Daisy Bush (olearia ramulosa). They both have a lovely aroma and are Australian native plants that are useful for attracting bees and butterflies. With this warm weather, we are busy keeping up with watering so that they are happy and healthy.

We also took some time to plant an indigenous species, the Murnong Daisy. You may remember our classes planting some seeds of this important local plant during our celebrations of Reconciliation Week. We have three plants that have a pretty, yellow daisy flower and they can be harvested like a yam or sweet potato. We hope they will grow and multiply so that we can continue to expand our garden.

Thank you to everyone who has come along to Garden Club this year. I hope you have had lots of fun in the garden with me!

Caring for Ourselves and Each Other Over the Break

As we near the end of 2025, I extend my warmest wishes to all families for a safe and Merry Christmas and a restful holiday break. This season often brings opportunities to slow down, reconnect with loved ones, and engage in the activities that restore our sense of balance. However, this time of year can also bring with it a range of emotions. For many, it is a time of joy, celebration and connection, yet others may experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and grief or feel the weight of added financial and social pressure. As a community we are encouraged to lean into small intentional actions that support calm and stability, to stay connected with others and approach ourselves and those around us with kindness. This reminder feels especially important given the challenges faced by our College community this year. The tragic bus accident touched many of us deeply and its impact continues to be felt in many ways. In the midst of this, we have witnessed our community come together with compassion, care and quiet strength and I hope that these qualities will continue to support us as we move towards the holiday period.

As we continue to care for ourselves and one another, it may be helpful to keep in mind some of the practical ways we can support and maintain our wellbeing over the festive season:

• You may like to create a self-care routine that includes activities you enjoy, whether it's reading, prayer, meditation, exercise, or simply taking quiet moments for yourself. Prioritising sleep and nourishing foods can make a meaningful difference.
• Being open to changes in your traditions or routines may help reduce stress and create space for new and positive experiences.
• You may find it helpful to set healthy boundaries. We are reminded that it is okay to say no to certain gatherings or activities, particularly if they add pressure or take away from your wellbeing.

Introducing the College-Wide Student Organiser for 2026

As we conclude another fulfilling year of learning at Christian College, we are pleased to share an exciting development for 2026: the introduction of a College-wide student organiser provided for all students from Prep to Year 12. 

We have chosen the term organiser rather than diary because this resource will serve a broader purpose than simply recording daily events. It is designed to help students manage their time, track their learning, set goals, access support resources, and engage with the routines and expectations that underpin successful learning across the College. 

Building on Strong Foundations in Prep–Year 4 

A student diary is already a familiar and valued tool in our early years, where it has served primarily as a communication channel between school and home, as well as a reading journal to support the establishment of strong daily reading habits. With our move to Compass as the central platform for communication with families, reliance on the diary for day-to-day messaging is naturally reduced.  

From next year, the diary – or Student Organiser – will continue to function as a reading journal, and for incidental communications parents may wish to pass on to their child’s teacher(s). In addition, it will be used intentionally to help our youngest learners develop foundational organisational skills—such as remembering to bring their diary to school each day, taking responsibility for its care, and beginning to understand simple routines that support successful learning. 

Key College and Campus Dates for 2026 Now Available 

As 2025 draws to a close, we are pleased to let families know that the Compass Calendar has now been populated with key College and campus dates for 2026. 

We encourage all parents and carers to take a moment over the holidays to log in to Compass and explore the calendar view. This will help you gain a clear overview of the year ahead and begin planning for the events and activities that are most relevant to your family. 

The Compass Calendar allows you to filter by student or event type using the layers on the left-hand side, making it easy to focus on what’s relevant for your child and/or their campus. You can click on the layer labels to toggle them. If a layer is checked/active, events from that layer appear in the calendar; if unchecked, they’re hidden. 

As more specific year-level activities, excursions, and other events will continue to be added throughout the academic year, we encourage families to check the calendar regularly to stay up to date with any new information. 

The most important date to remember in 2026 is, of course, the return date for students on Thursday, January 29. 

Staff Development

Spotlight: Victorian Teaching Excellence Program (TEP)

Our college continues to be well represented in the prestigious Victorian Teaching Excellence Program, with several staff each year selected for this intensive 10-day professional learning experience led by some of Australia’s most respected educators.

As the 2025 TEP journeys conclude for three of our Middle School teachers — Sharon Huber (Bellarine), Hayley Keogh (Bellarine) and Victoria Corkin (Highton) — I asked them to reflect on the impact this program has had on their practice:

Sharon: “TEP has allowed me to take stock of my teacher identity and become more intentional in my teaching. I’ve gained clarity on both my strengths and areas for future growth, grounded in evidence-based pedagogy.”

CC Eagles Netball Presentations 

On Wednesday the CC Eagles held their end of season netball presentations. Our five teams played on Monday nights as part of the Geelong Central Netball Association at Kardinia Park. While all our teams have had a rewarding season, a special mention must go to the CC Eagles Blue team. Under the direction of Coach Trisha Evans, this team played with determination to win the grand final in a nail-biting game, with the final score 17:15. 

We were excited to welcome a Junior School team into the competition this season. Each week, this dedicated group of girls have trained on a Monday lunchtime with Christian College Head of Netball and Basketball, Olivia Cameron, and her trusty assistant Pieper Riddle. Many of these girls were new to netball, so it has been exciting to watch their growth and skill development over the past two terms.  

Hampers That Celebrate Local & Support CCG Foundation

If you're looking for a thoughtful and delicious gift idea this festive season, we invite you to consider ordering a Geelong Gourmet Goodies Hamper through Kardinia Rotary. 

These beautifully presented hampers feature locally sourced gourmet treats and come in three sizes — $125, $85, and $60 — with free delivery within 50km of Geelong CBD.  

They make perfect gifts for friends, family, staff, or clients, while also supporting local businesses and community projects. 

Here’s how your purchase can make a difference: 

• For every hamper ordered that references Christian College Geelong or Christian College Geelong Foundation, $5 will be donated to the Foundation. 

• Even better — this donation will be dollar matched by an anonymous donor, doubling the impact of your support! 

Funds raised will go directly to the Christian College Geelong Foundation – Public Ancillary Fund, supporting initiatives that transform lives through education. 

All Star Kids - December Holidays Extravaganza!

Geelong Summer Music Camp Jan 11 -16, 2026

A Day Camp for Music Students aged 10 – 21 years

Christian College Geelong is proud to once again be hosting the Geelong Summer Music Camp at the Senior Campus in January 2026. The GSMC committee are excited to have registrations now open for the January 2026 Camp.

If you have a budding band, choir or string musician in your house, or you are involved in a school or community music program, please encourage students aged 10 – 21 years to consider attending.

The camp highlights:
The GSMC is a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive day camp. Students will play in a concert band, string orchestra, or sing in a choir throughout the week and then feature in a finale concert at Costa Hall.

Campers will also have the opportunity to choose an elective activity. The camp builds social time into its program where students are encouraged to connect with others, developing positive friendships and relationships with other campers and staff. Auditions at the start of the camp are designed as a time for the students to connect with the music tutors, but also allow the tutors to place students into the ensemble that best suits them, to set them up to have a rewarding week of growth and fun making music.

Your Cookbook of Family Favourites – Calling for Recipes  

Dear Christian College Families,

Our names are Elisha Williams and Willow McInnes, and we are the Middle School-Highton campus Community Building and Outreach Prefects.

We are thrilled to share that we are introducing the Christian College Geelong cookbook, which will be an important fundraiser for the Christian College Foundation. All the proceeds from the cookbook will be donated to the Eternity Fund. By supporting this initiative you will be enabling, empowering, and changing the lives of young people from families who are experiencing hardship.

This will be a hardcover book which will include recipes from families and members of the Christian College Geelong community and will be titled, ‘Our Family Favourites’. If you have a special family recipe that you would like to share, we would love for you to contribute to the book. We encourage our community to contribute one favourite recipe.