What’s on at Middle School
Week 7
- Mon 13 Mar – Labour Day Public Holiday
- Tues 14 Mar – Geelong North Division Swimming Championships
- Tues 14 – Fri 17 Mar – Yr 8 GEOS Camp
- Wed 15 Mar – Fri 17 Mar – Year 6 Camp, The Summit
- Wed 15 Mar – GISSA Swimming & Diving Championships
- Thurs 16 Mar – School LSV Surf League Championships
Week 8
- Wed 22 Mar – Senior Wind Symphony at Eltham High School
- Thurs 23 Mar – Year 9 OES Coastal Day Trip
- Fri 24 Mar – GISSA Swimming & Diving Championships
District Summer Sports Carnival
It was with much excitement that the Year 5 and 6s boarded a bus to The Geelong College to participate in the first external sporting opportunity of the year.
The District Summer Sports Carnival saw the return of many of the students’ favourite sports –swimming, volleystars, cricket, hot shots tennis and Tball. The Year 5s who have just started Middle School had a great taste of what to expect over the next few years in our sporting program. They eagerly participated and it was amazing to see the level of camaraderie, sporting skills and a strong sense of competitiveness throughout the entire day.
There were highlights all over the sporting fields – amazing catches in the field, gliding freestylers, down the line, cross-court winners and many a spike and volley. The Year 6s showed a great level of leadership that enabled their teams to perform well throughout the day. It was noticeable the way they stepped up to the plate as the older students. A special thanks to Mrs Bishop for the organisation of this event, and to the coaches who supported the young student-athletes throughout the day.
Callen Wade
Our First Year 7 Garden Party
On Thursday afternoon of week five, Middle School hosted the first ever Year 7 Garden Party.
This provided the opportunity for students, teachers, and families to share some time getting to know each other after a busy start to Term 1. There was a wonderful turnout with many parents coming along to the event to meet their young person’s homeroom and subject teachers face-to-face. The afternoon was filled with conversation, finger food, soundscapes created by Year 7 Music students and a family activity. It was a very successful event with many happy faces in the crowd. Many thanks to the students and staff from
the Middle School Café, Bean Break, for their support on the night.
Unbelievably, this event officially marked the halfway point of Term 1 and now we look forward to sustaining each other through the rest of the term, semester, and year.
Andrew Ellery, Year 7 Coordinator
Bean Break Opens its Doors!
Were Open! Bean Break Café is officially open to all staff and students. The Bean Break crew have been training and refining their skills and are now serving the greater Christian College community with a range of hot and cold beverages at the times outlined below.
Monday-Thursday
| Before School | 7.50am-8.20am |
| Recess | 10.35am-10.50am |
| Lunch | 1.15pm-1.45pm |
Closed Fridays
Students are NOT able to purchase coffee, however, they have been enjoying our caffeine-free items such as hot and iced chocolate as well as a variety of teas.
The Bean Break Café is committed to limiting waste and therefore does not provide disposable cups, requiring customers to bring their own keep cup/mug. There are keep cups available for purchase should you need one.
Alongside the hours above, the Bean Break crew had the wonderful opportunity to serve the community of parents and students at the recent Year 7 Garden Party. The feedback from staff and students alike has been a glowing affirmation of the quality of the products the crew is producing.
We look forward too seeing you soon.
Jacob Sharp, Bean Break – Highton
SMAN 2 Mataram Visit to Middle School
Earlier this week, the CCG Middle School students had the privilege of extending a warm welcome to 15 Indonesian students from our twin school from Lombok, SMAN 2 Mataram, alongside Year 8 and 9 Indonesian language students from Highton and Bellarine campuses. This cultural exchange event served as a platform for the students to showcase their traditional Indonesian performances and promote cross-cultural understanding between the two countries.
The welcoming ceremony, which featured a beautiful showcase of traditional Indonesian performances, was presented by both the Indonesian Students at CCG and SMAN 2 Mataram. Following the ceremony, the event proceeded with a series of Indonesian traditional games, which were played by the students from SMAN 2 Mataram to the CCG students.
This cultural exchange event provided a valuable opportunity for the CCG students to broaden their knowledge about Indonesian culture and explore novel experiences in a supportive environment. Furthermore, the interaction between the students from the two countries promotes the strengthening of their relationship, develops their cultural understanding, and enhances their language competence – all crucial skills in today's increasingly interconnected world. Ultimately, through this exchange, CCG and SMAN 2 Mataram students can strengthen their bonds and develop lifelong friendships.
Students from SMAN 2 Lombok have now arrived safely back in Lombok. Sampai Jumpa lagi!
Zacky Zachariah
Getting to Know…Mrs Kerrie Dapiran
Christian College is like a second home and family to Deputy Head of Campus, Mrs Kerrie Dapiran. As a past student, she has not ventured far and invested over 15 years as a teacher and leader at the Middle School – Highton Campus. During this time, she has served as a Year 7 Homeroom teacher, an English and Sport teacher, a Year 7 Coordinator, and for the past seven years a Deputy Head of Campus.
Kerrie has always had a passion for young people and seeing them flourish within their God-given gifts and talents. During her late teenage years she served in her church as a youth leader, before discovering her calling to teach whilst volunteering at a USA Summer Camp. She has never looked back and considers it a privilege to walk alongside students and their families through the beautiful, yet sometimes turbulent, years of the adolescent journey.
Outside of her role at Middle School, Kerrie enjoys spending time along the Surf Coast where she grew up, exploring Australia and the globe through travel and spending time with her friends and family. Kerrie also has a passion for social justice and volunteers her time on the Events Team and as a Board Member for Offspring, an organisation supporting human trafficking survivors in India.
With the Middle School already off to a wonderful start, Kerrie is looking forward to all that is in store for the year ahead!
College Exchange Programs Resume as we Welcome Indonesian Students
Campuses across the College have been buzzing over the past 10 days with the arrival of 15 students and two staff members from our sister school, SMA Negeri 2 Mataram, in Lombok, Indonesia. This visit marked the 28th year of the College’s relationship with our sister school in Lombok and was the first visit between countries post COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is a visit like this important for Indonesian and Australian bilateral relations, but it also signifies the returning of some normality to our College programs and the ability to reconnect with our closest neighbours once more.
The Lombok students were received with excitement by all students within the College, in particular, the Senior campus Indonesian students who hosted the group for the duration of the program.
During their 10-day stay in Geelong, the Lombok students had the opportunity to visit a number of the College campuses, including the Surf Coast Campus, where the first group of Year 5 students have just begun their Indonesian studies. Christian College students were able to put their new language skills to the test in fun way; laughing and sharing stories with the Lombok students and connecting with their new friends.
The group also visited the Highton campus and spent the day engaging with the Indonesian language students from both the Highton and Bellarine campuses and enjoyed a traditional lunch together.
Besides visiting a number of our campuses, the group also had the opportunity to learn about life in Australia in a hands-on way, taking day trips to Melbourne to visit the Queen Victoria Market, and Melbourne library; a visit to Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus to discover what opportunities lie ahead for them post-school if they wish to return to Australia for study. The Lombok students also spent a day at Back Creek Farm where they loved hearing all the stories from the current farm group and getting up and close to some of the farm animals.
On the group’s last day they were able to spend their time with the Senior School Indonesian language students who enjoyed time together at Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Both Lombok and Christian College students spent the morning learning about Aboriginal Culture, had the chance to throw a boomerang, and were chased around the yard by a crazy kangaroo.
What fantastic and inspiring return to cultural exchanges at Christian College! We are proud that here at Christian College, through exchange programs like this, we are successfully able to create global citizens that show intercultural awareness and have a desire to connect with others.
Jess Bijaksono, Head of Indonesian Exchange
Surfing - Scott Elliss Shield
On Monday March 6, over 40 students from across the College campuses converged on Jan Juc beach to contest the 2023 Scott Elliss Shield. The event is steeped in a 20-year history and has been attended by some of the best surfers to ride the waves along the Surfcoast and Bellarine Peninsula. It is a unique opportunity for students of all ages from different campuses to compete together and have some fun and support each other on the day. The event also serves as our trial to select teams for upcoming surfing events against other Geelong independent schools and, ultimately, the State School Surfing titles.
Clean, offshore two to three-foot waves provided ideal conditions for the day and set a backdrop for some explosive performances in the water. Several heats, and one of the finals, were decided in the final moments as competitors sought to eek every ounce from their 20-minute allotment. This proved very exciting for the spectators, particularly our expert commentator Mr Jason O’Loughlin, who seemed to have conniptions at some points.
In the open girls category, the talent and depth continue to grow, with some fantastic surfing taking place and a bright future for our team. Heidi Abetz led most of the heat with a single high-scoring wave until her sister Ava secured the title with two consistent medium-range scores. In the Under 16 boys, the level of surfing improves each year. Jack Lindsay put on a dominant display across all heats and the final. Eddy Martin also scored well while Sam Abetz secured some excellent scoring waves. In his final year at CCG, Taz Higgins continued to show his power and critical manoeuvres with a fantastic display of mature and controlled surfing. Harvey Graham, another consistent performer, surfed exceptionally well throughout the day to be narrowly beaten by Taz. New to Senior School Jai Bouvier surfed very well but was unable to secure a second high-scoring wave in the final.
I want to thank all surfers for their involvement, and I was particularly impressed with their efforts to ensure not one piece of rubbish was left behind. I would also like to thank the parents and guardians for their help and support on the day—special mention to ex-student Ted Paige-Walker for his water safety and first aid expertise. I would also like to thank Matt Murnane, Annelise Hurrell, Trent Myers, and Jason O’Loughlin for their assistance in running the event to make it safe and enjoyable for all involved. The full results are below.
Girls
1st – Ava Abetz
2nd – Heidi Abetz
3rd – Pippa Johnstone
4th - Summer Morgan
5th- Olivia Clarke
Under 16 Boys
1st – Jack Lindsey
2nd - Eddy Martin
3rd- Sam Abetz
4th – Jack Patel
Open Boys
1st – Taz Higgins
2nd – Harvey Graham
3rd – Jai Bouvier
4th – Jonti Wylie
5th – Spencer Sullivan
Steve Sullivan
Visit Back Creek Café!
Christian College’s Back Creek Café in Meredith is a vital part of our Year 9 residential farm experience. Located 15 minutes south of Back Creek Farm, the café is open six days a week (not Sundays) from 8:30am to 3pm. On weekdays during term time, working at the café is part of the schedule for the Year 9s’ Farm Program work groups. Students learn a whole range of hospitality-related skills as they assist with the day-to-day café operations.
If you’re passing through Meredith this weekend, or just fancy a 35-minute drive up the Midland Hwy from Geelong, make sure you drop in and say hi. While you’re there, enjoy the best coffee in town – or choose from a range of other beverages – indulge in an all-day breakfast or one of the other scrumptious light meal/snack options on the menu. There is also a variety of sweet or savoury treats to enjoy while you’re there and delicious home-made produce to purchase and take home.
You can also check out the latest from the café via its Facebook and Instagram pages.
Back Creek Café is located at 1/27 Staughton Street Meredith. For enquiries and bookings, call 5286 1166.
A MYTERN Thought for This Week
It’s easy to rush through a cup of tea or coffee and forget to stop and appreciate the moment.
Take time out now to simply appreciate being able to breathe in fresh air. Take a long slow breath and feel it rejuvenate every cell.
Make that your intention and watch your body smile from the inside 👍❤️
Discover more about MYTERN here
