What’s on at Middle School
Week 9
- Mon 27 Mar – Partnering with Parents Evening
- Tues 28 Mar – Regional Swimming Championships
- Tues 28 Mar – Piano Performance Evening
- Wed 29 Mar – GISSA Surfing Championships
- Wed 29 Mar – Planet Boom Tour
- Thurs 30 Mar – Instrumental Music Performance Night – Strings
- Fri 31 Mar – Year 9 Marine Studies Dolphin Boat Tour
Week 10
- Mon 3 Apr – Tues 4 Apr – CCG Senior Music Hosting Eltham HS Bands on Tour
- Mon 3 Apr – Geelong North Division Girls AFL Championships
- Tues 4 Apr – Year 7 Immunisations
- Wed 5 Apr – House Athletics Carnival
- Thurs 6 Apr – Easter Service
- Thurs 6 Apr – Rural 2 Concludes
- Thurs 6 Apr – Last Day of Term 1 – 2.30pm Dismissal
- Fri 7 Apr – Good Friday Public Holiday
Year 6 Camp: Unleashing Greatness
‘Unleashing Greatness’ was the term used when we took our Year 6 cohort up to The Summit outdoor and adventure camp in Trafalgar East last week. As we entered The Summit our students were eager to get off the bus and see what the camp had to offer and they were not disappointed! The camp had five key objectives which we hoped the students would embrace, they included: having fun, play all-in, make lots of mistakes, get comfortable being uncomfortable and don’t go home wondering ‘what if?’
Students began by playing some games together and becoming familiar with the camp and its amazing staff who led incredible activities which included: Leap of Faith, Tash’s Ladder, Cave, Inflatable City and Bush Challenge. Not to mention the most anticipated event of the camp, the Year 6 Monster Challenge!
The energy was high from the cohort and it was fantastic to see some real breakthroughs of courage, creativity and teamwork so early on. The Leap of Faith was the most challenging, as the height of the platform seemed much higher on it than under it! On Thursday afternoon the students ran their Monster Challenge, this mud run included several physical activities that got everyone involved (teachers and coaches too!) Everyone got wet, muddy and exhausted, however it was easily the highlight of camp for many of our students, as they demonstrated their ability to challenge themselves and each other, build on resilience and recognise each other’s achievements in their groups.
The students completed their activities in activity groups where they came up with their own tribe names, flags and chants. Students presented these to each other on the final day and voted within their teams for the person who they believed demonstrated the camp’s five key values. This was a powerful moment in camp as during this time, students sat together and openly discussed what their highlights were, their challenges and who in their peer group was their ‘hero’ by showing courage throughout the camp. The five key values winners were lucky enough to have a ride in the army tank located at the camp whilst the remainder of the cohort cheered them on!
Overall, Year 6 camp at The Summit was a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience many activities that they have never participated in before. We are so proud of our cohort and can’t wait to see them continuing to ‘Unleash Greatness’ for the remainder of the year!
Stephanie Hambrook
Year 8 GEOS Camp
Did you know that the Anglesea Heathland is different from any other Australian Heathland? It boasts the richest and most diverse vegetation recorded in Victoria, is home to over 100 bird species, 29 mammal species and is known as one of the most orchid-rich sites in Australia. How about the Mountain Ash trees? Did you know they are the world’s tallest flowering tree and we can find them in the Otways forest? If you already knew these things and more, it might be because you were one of the lucky Year 8 students participating in the adventure of a lifetime last week.
In their GEOS classes students from 8B, G and H have been learning about landforms and landscapes, as well as how to camp and explore wild places safely and with independence. Over four days students put their learning to the test, mountain biking through the Anglesea Heathlands, Kayaking and exploring rock formations in Aireys Inlet and bushwalking to waterfalls in the picturesque Otways. If this doesn’t sound like enough, students also had to bring and cook all their own food for the four days, and sleep in tents!
The aim of this experience is to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that enable them to connect with local landforms and environments more deeply and participate in outdoor activities to gain both physical and cognitive skills. Whilst preparing for and being on camp, students are also encouraged to be resilient, responsible, reliable and relational as they strive to improve their skills in organisation, communication and collaboration.
It was an absolute joy to see the students pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones and bonding together as Homeroom teams, as well as to hear many reflect that they enjoyed being away from their phones and computers. Our young people will become the decision-makers of the future, and in a world where natural spaces are seemingly more and more under threat it is imperative that our young people understand local environments and their importance.
We wish to thank all the families for their support of this program at home, and we trust that there have been some valuable conversations coming out of camp and all the rich learning that occurred.
The author wishes to acknowledge that this experience took place on Wathaurong and Ganubanud Country, and pays their respects to these people and cultures of the past, present and future.
Georgie Brown
Year 9 Dune Care
As a part of the Year 9 Outdoor and Environmental Studies unit in term 1, students had the opportunity to be involved in a Dune Care initiative, with an external organisation ‘EcoLogic.’
The aim of the program was for students to gain an appreciation of coastal dune systems, which play a number of important roles that influence the local environment and how humans live and recreate near coastlines. Students learnt about Indigenous cultural heritage, as well as the importance of vegetation in erosion management. This Bellarine and Great Ocean Road initiative invests in on-ground management of coastal dune flora and fauna habitats at risk of erosion to ensure that identified high priority sites are improved, protected, and conserved. It also seeks to safeguard significant Aboriginal middens and other cultural values identified by Traditional Owners and works with secondary school students to develop student and local community stewardship for local dune conservation and protection.
Students created a sand model to demonstrate their understanding of the dune system, and connected this to climate change and future impacts this could have on the community. They were then able to get their hands dirty and give back to the environment by carrying a Coastal Tea Tree that has already been cut to another site to be mulched. This tree is not an Indigenous plant and had been suffocating other species that needed to flourish.
After their hard work, students got to have some fun at beautiful Point Addis, where they put their surfing skills they have learnt over the term, to the test. They were also able to apply their knowledge of oceanography and weather conditions to a new location they had not yet been to.
A great day!
Lauren Davis
Term 2 Learning Conferences
Our Term 2 Learning Conferences will be held on Thursday May 4th from 4:00pm – 9:00pm. These Conferences will again be conducted as video calls via Teams.
Bookings for these conferences are as follows:
Open: Monday April 3rd at 9.00am
Close: Monday May 1st at 5:00pm
Instructions as to how to make bookings will be emailed to families prior to the opening date. Please keep an eye out for an email with a booking link.
Our teaching staff really look forward to this occasion as a valuable opportunity to develop relationships with our school families while discussing their students learning and progress. We encourage students to join their parents in the calls so that they can share reflections of their own learning while also benefiting from the collaborative and supportive focus provided through this time and space.
We request that parents and guardians who schedule conference bookings, ensure that they have a quiet and respectful area available in which they can connect to the video call. Please note that teachers will not be able to participate in calls with family members who are driving a vehicle or in an inappropriate setting.
If you have any questions about these conferences, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Homeroom Teacher or Heidi Wilkinson [email protected] by phone or email. We look forward to speaking with you online soon.
Natasha Troop, Deputy Head of Campus
Earth Hour
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Days!
All Christian College campuses will open their doors on May 2 in the first of our Open Days for 2023.
This is an opportunity for parents/guardians and families who are considering Christian College as an option for their young people to visit one or more of our campuses, meet students, teachers and campus leaders, tour facilities, visit classes in progress and have their questions answered. It provides an authentic insight to how our College operates on a day-to-day basis. For those considering either Junior School-Belmont or Surf Coast Campus, please note our Early Learning Centres - Williams House in Belmont and Butterfield House in Torquay - will also be open for visitation at the same time as the campuses.
No booking is required, with campuses open at the following times:
Junior School-Belmont: 9:30 – 11:00am
Bellarine Campus: 9:30 – 11:00am
Surf Coast Campus: 9:30 – 11:30am
Middle School-Highton: – 11:15am – 12:45pm
Senior School-Waurn Ponds: – 11:30am – 1:00pm
If you have friends or acquaintances who are considering schooling options at any level, from Prep through to Year 12, please encourage them to take this opportunity to visit our campuses on May 2.
Any interested families who are unable to attend on May 2 can book a tour at any campus at a time that suits them by visiting our website and clicking on ‘Book a Tour’.
Big Science Competition!
We welcome all students in Years 7 - 10 to consider taking part in the Big Science Competition!
A 50-minute, multiple-choice competition, the Big Science Competition isn't like other tests. This test focuses on how students can use their science knowledge and critical thinking skills to solve problems.
The Big Science Competition can also lead to BIG opportunities.
All students in Australian high schools who sit the Big Science Competition have a chance to win one of four great prizes*, up to the value of $1,498.
Here's everything you need to know.
- The Big Science Competition is open to students in Year 7-10 who attend Australian and International schools.
- The Big Science Competition will run on a date to be determined between 15-26 May 2023.
- Expressions of interest will close at the end of Term 1.
Registering your interest
All students who would like to participate are asked to complete their details on the following form:
Please speak to your science teacher or email Mrs Huddart if you have any questions.
Elissa Huddart, Director of Teaching and Learning - Science
Families with a Newly Enrolled Child This Year: Qustodio Parent App
Activate or add new students to your Qustodio parent account.
An important element of the College's Cyber Safe Schools Program is our commitment to supporting families and parents with managing their children’s digital devices in the home, especially the College laptop.
This week, families that have one or more children who are new to the College this year received an email invitation toactivate their Qustodio parent account or add newly enrolled students to their existing Qustodio account, as part of our school program.
Qustodio is a parental control and monitoring app that we offer our parents as part of our school program. This app provides parents monitoring on personal devices and the school laptop, as well as the ability to pause internet as desired outside of school hours. Use of Qustodio is optional, and parents can learn more information about Qustodio on our Online Safety Hub.
The Qustodio parent app is available to all College families, and families with existing students in 2022 were invited to activate their parent account in November of last year. Families that have not yet activated their account and wish to, can do so by using the College’s activate now link and entering the assigned primary email for the family (as detailed in the invitation sent last year).
More Information
- Parents can learn more about our broader Cyber Safe Schools Program that the Qustodio parent app is a part of, via this information brochure.
- Parents and guardians can access technical support for the use of Qustodio on personal devices at home, via Qustodio’s Help Center.
- For support with Qustodio and school devices at home, there is a useful help page on our Online Safety Hub.
Brendan Vanderkley, Director of Digital Learning
Make a Vertical Garden at Back Creek Café!
Back Creek Café in Meredith proudly presents the first of several planned craft workshops – come along and discover how to create your own vertical garden. Two workshops are running on Saturday May 6 – at 10:30am and 1:00pm, conducted by Kathy from Coburg nursery, TD2M. Build your own standing or hanging frame, create a vertical garden to take home and learn about soils and mosses used in the process along the way.
Cost for the workshop is $90 per person with all you need provided. While you’re there, enjoy some of Back Creek Café’s delicious fare!
To book for the workshop, contact the café on 5286 1166.
