From the Head of Campus

Partnering with Parents – Thinking and Learning Through the Middle Years

It was my pleasure to spend Monday evening with many new and prospective parents to our College this year, for our Partnering with Parents – Thinking and Learning through the Middle Years evening. A number of educational leaders from across the Middle School – Highton Campus and wider College presented on topics including faith formation, our Wellbeing program and the role of the Homeroom teacher, adolescent behaviour and our restorative response to it, our contemporary learning approach and student experiences, digital safety and mental health.

New families had the chance to gain a deeper insight into our values, focus points for their young person and the importance we place on genuine partnership with ‘home’, while prospective families enjoyed an intimate, ‘behind the scenes’ look into the community that we all collectively foster here at CCG. The evening provided the opportunity for questions and conversations with Year Level Coordinators, Chaplains and the Campus leadership team, while our new staff also attended, growing their own understanding of our culture and focus as we strive continuously to provide the learning that truly matters in the lives of our most precious resource, our students, God’s children, in our care.

During the evening, I promised to share a number of resources that families may find helpful to engage with, in support of your young person’s wellbeing and development through their middle years of schooling. Please find them listed below.

eSafety Commissioner – www.esafety.gov.au

Kids Helpline – www.kidshelpline.com.au

Beyond Blue – www.youthbeyondblue.com

Tune in not out – www.tuneinnotout.com

Reachout – www.reachout.com

Think You Know – www.thinkyouknow.org.au

eHeadspace – www.eheadspace.org.au

ACORN – www.acorn.gov.au

Should you like anything further, or to speak to one of our Chaplains or other educational leaders, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school at any time.

What’s on at Middle School

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

Term 2, Week 1

• Tues 25 Apr – ANZAC Day Public Holiday
• Wed 26 Apr – Term 2 Commences
• Wed 26 Apr – ANZAC Day Ceremony and Commencement Assembly
• Wed 26 Apr – Rural 3 Commences 
• Thurs 27 Apr – Deakin District Winter Carnival – Year 5 & 6
• Fri 28 Apr – SSV State Primary Swimming Championships

Week 2

• Tue 2 May – Open Day
• Wed 3 May – GISSA Year 7 & Year 8 Sporting fixtures
• Thurs 4 May – Deakin District Cross Country Championships
• Thurs 4 May – 3 X 3 Junior Schools Basketball Challenge – Qualifying (Boys & Girls)
• Thurs 4 May – Learning Conferences
• Fri 5 May – Vic Schools Surfing Titles
• Fri 5 May – Year 8 Medieval Day (MRY)

Years 4 – 9 House Athletics Carnival

We are looking forward to the annual Middle School House Athletics Carnival to be held on Wednesday April 5. House competition is an integral part of Christian College and our sport program. Our carnival will be an exciting day, offering something for all students!

We ask all parents to support us in our aim of having all students participate. In addition to the traditional track and field events, students have the opportunity to represent their house in a range of fun novelty activities. These activities are designed to encourage participation from a broad range of students. Joining the Highton House carnival this year will be the Year 4 students from the Christian College Junior School Campus and Year 4/ 5 students from our Surf Coast Campus, we look forward to having them join in the competition with their Highton peers.

At the conclusion of the day a House Winner is awarded and following full analysis of all results, which does take considerable time, the year level champions will be presented at the Year Level assemblies next term, or earlier if possible.

Selamat datang di kelas Bahasa Indonesia!

Welcome to Indonesian Class
It is very exciting for Year 5 students at Christian College to learn Indonesian language for the first time. It’s not their first experience with an Asian language, as students learn Japanese at Junior school. Now in Middle School, the students are introduced to learning Indonesian language in Semester 1. This presents an exciting opportunity for them to expand their knowledge of a new language and culture, and to explore Indonesia as Australia’s nearest neighbour.

Throughout this term, students engage in a variety of activities to enhance their understanding. In addition to learning basic Indonesian greetings, asking and saying names and numbers, students delve into Indonesia’s geographical features and its cultural diversity through a project task. They work in groups of four to choose one of the main islands in Indonesia and investigate its special food, native animals, places to go, festivals and traditional clothing. This project task encourages students to conduct research and present their findings in various forms, such as a presentation, a poster, or a report. The project has been a joyful experience for both students and the teacher, as it has helped students discover the diverse nature of Indonesia.

Next term the students will be introduced to high-frequency words to help them exchange personal information through storytelling in Indonesian class. This will further enhance their Indonesian language.

Year 5 and 6 Science – Bright and Electrifying!

Light is something we take for granted every day, but have you ever wondered about light? Where it comes from? Why it is so important to our lives? The Year 5s won’t be kept in the dark anymore, as they spent Term 1 shedding light on these mysteries! They’ve been busy using Hodson Light boxes to explore the properties of light, exploring refraction through spear fishing, and investigating shadows.

The Year 6 students have been on an electrifying adventure and learned about the fascinating world of electricity and energy! Students have been busy constructing circuits, researching renewable energy and making water wheels.

A student reflection…

I’ve enjoyed learning about insulators and conductors and how they impact our daily life. I also liked learning about all the different ways we can produce renewable energy by using wind, solar, water.

Arabella Grills, Year 6

Year 8 Triathlon- Sport Discovery

Our enthusiastic crew of High-Performance Athletes have been working this term on developing themselves as athletes in all areas of physical, mental and habit development. Every two weeks the class investigates a new sport as a ‘Sport Discovery’ focus. The aim of this fortnightly focus is to allow students opportunities to develop skillsets and interests in other sports. Academic research has confirmed that young athletes who partake in more than one sport are considerably more likely to succeed as future athletes as well as develop overall healthier habits as adults.

On Friday our major experience was a mock-reverse Triathlon. Run/Bike/Swim. Hosted at our Middle School Campus, the students adjusted their distances to ensure that they would be able to succeed within the boundaries of their strengths and weaknesses.

The Secret Ingredient

Each week a Year 6 Home Room takes part in a practical and theoretical food lesson, named The Secret Ingredient. The main focus of the class is for students to develop a practical understanding of where food comes from as well as food preparation and practical cooking skills. This term the emphasis was based on making sweet and savoury slices using fruit and vegetables. The practical work carried out by the students always reinforces healthy eating messages and uses the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating Model to develop an understanding of the food groups. In our final week of cooking for this term we made Easter Cookies with Royal Icing.

The following are some of the students’ reflections on their own learning in this subject.

I love knowing that I have The Secret Ingredient on a Friday, because I love the things you get to make. They are always simple, but end up tasting really good. I loved when I had to find a simple, healthy recipe to make as my assignment. I ended up making a Yogurt and Raspberry slice that tasted really good, even Mr Kennedy said it was good. Food Studies is a great way to learn how to cook in a fun safe environment.

Isla McKeag Year 6 

What I have loved about The Secret Ingredient is learning about the different roles and safety steps that you need to do. We made all different types of food from Cheesy Chive Slice to Berry Muffins.

Alfie Lynch Year 6

Project Care Review of Term 1

This term the Project Care team spent the first two meetings discussing the types of causes we would like to support over the year and the different ways we would like to raise money. This year I would like the activities to be designed and run by the reps themselves.  

In the last fortnight of this term, we are completing fund raising activities for the Salvation Army. This organisation was chosen by the students. Many students in the group had shared a concern for those that were homeless in the lead up to winter.

There will be three different opportunities for us to donate to the Salvation Army

1. Students have been asked to bring any warm items of clothing that they may have at home that are no longer needed e.g. a jumper which is too big or tracksuit pants that are no longer needed. The Salvos are particularly looking for warm clothing items for adults.
2. On Monday 3 April we will have a non-uniform day when students will be asked to donate a gold coin.
3. On Athletics Day students will have the chance to have their faces painted in their house colours. A donation will be required. Each house will have a design which has been created by the Project Care Reps

All money raised and all clothing items collected will be donated to the Salvation Army to be used by homeless people in the Geelong region.

Thanks for all your support with this fundraiser

Victoria Corkin and the Project Care Team

Ark Recovery High Performance Athlete Excursion

This past Tuesday and Wednesday both High Performance Athlete classes made a trip to an up-and- coming facility in the heart of Belmont called, ‘Ark Recovery’ – a sport recovery facility aimed at providing elite level recovery methods for everyone. Owned and run by Josh Baker, a Christian College Alum this was an opportunity that fitted right in with what the Year 7s were investigating in class. This being the idea that improvement from a physical point of view only comes from proper recovery. Athletes can train all they like but if they are not following simple methods such as sleep, hydration and nutrition they will not be maximising their development.

Ark Recovery offers a range of modalities which any person can test and trial to see what works best for them. Students were able to experience compression boots in the comfort of soft recliners, percussive devices in massage guns, vibrating foam rollers and balls, while time was also spent discussing the use of ice baths, heat therapy and mobility/stretching.

It was great to see the students’ excitement trying things out that professionals use, and the level of questions and inquiry was very pleasing to see.

Students reflected on the methods underlying scientific concepts and what they personally could take away for their own sporting endeavours; the need for basic recovery but also finding a space for some ‘cool gadgets’ and different approaches.

Ark Recovery is located Shop 5/110/122 High St, Belmont. Many thanks to Josh for facilitating this excursion for our students and the staff involved.

Term 2 Learning Conferences

Our Term 2 Learning Conferences will be held on Thursday May 4 from 4:00pm – 9:00pm. These Conferences will again be conducted as video calls via Teams.

Bookings for these conferences will:

Open: Monday April 3rd at 9.00am

Close: Monday May 1st at 5:00pm

Instructions as to how to make bookings has been emailed to families this week.

Online Learning Conference Bookings are available by clicking on the ‘School Interviews’ tile on the Parent Portal or by going to www.schoolinterviews.com.au Enter the school event code (d83eu) and book the teachers and times requested. A more detailed explanation is attached for your convenience.

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.

Learning Conferences Flyer Sem 1 2023

NAPLAN Moves to March

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, Christmas did not come early this year, but NAPLAN did, moving from May to March. It has had Year 5, 7 and 9 teachers and students jumping for joy.

Perhaps not quite, but in all seriousness, NAPLAN or The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy is an annual nationwide test for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the four areas of Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. This year marks the sixteenth year of NAPLAN but our first run completely on a digital platform. With all this wonderful data (teachers really do love a box and whisker graph), as a nation, and as a school, much informative data can be extrapolated and used to inform our teaching. Perhaps the move to March testing will prove a benefit to parents, students and teachers.

Students, teachers and support staff have shown patience and perseverance as a few technical issues arose, however overall, the tests have run smoothly. A big shout out to the staff who attended meetings, prepared classrooms and guided students. Two sessions were timetabled for students who were absent.

Whilst the NAPLAN is informative data, it is but a ‘snapshot’ of our students on a certain day. Our young people are learning in many different ways and at their own pace. It is important to remember that the learning at Christian College is rich and diverse and embraces the student in ALL aspects of the person and there is no national test or box and whisker graph big enough to account for the ‘Learning that Matters’.

Giulia Ellis, Sophie Bergin and Natasha Troop (NAPLAN Coordinators 2023)

Progressing Through Teaching and Learning is in Full Swing….

Our Teaching and Learning programs have been in full swing across our campuses. We are excited to offer a breadth of rich opportunities for our students, and this is just the beginning of what’s to come this year. During Term 1 at Middle School-Highton there have been many camps and excursions that provide wonderful opportunities for social and emotional development, teamwork, building self-identity, and applying classroom skills and knowledge in real-world contexts through critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and ethical understandings through a Christian World View lens.

We have seen great growth and development of our young people through the Rural and Transformation programs where students aim to make an impact on the world around them, develop their own self-identity and refine their purpose, passion and potential pathways.

We are also thrilled to offer plentiful opportunities for community involvement through our Campus Carnivals, House events, family events such as afternoon teas, information sessions, student learning conferences and more, as well as continued development in intercultural understandings through our international guests from Indonesia. Each of these has seen positive engagement with our Teaching and Learning program. Students and staff have been excited to be part of a program that enables students to engage with critical competencies and real-life opportunities and develop skills and knowledge in a diverse range of classes.

You can view your child’s progress in each of their learning areas through our In Time reporting program via SEQTA Engage. Log onto the parent portal via the College website and select the Assessments menu to view your child’s progress. As a reminder, there is also the SEQTA App that can be downloaded to your phone. I have attached a couple support documents that highlight how to get the most out of SEQTA Engage.

ParentPortalGuide_2023

SEQTAEngageMobileAppInstall

Picnic at Hanging Rock – Performances on Next Week!

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a captivating and mysterious story that explores the disappearance of four schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at a local geological formation in Victoria, Australia, on Valentine’s Day in 1900. The novel by Joan Lindsay, published in 1967, was adapted into a film by Peter Weir in 1975, which became a landmark of Australian cinema and culture. The story has inspired many interpretations and adaptations, including the performances brought to you by our Christian College Senior School students.

Excitement is now running high - next week's shows are on at Platform Arts in Geelong in Lt Malop St, with three evening shows from Thursday May 11 to Saturday May 13.  Tickets are only $30 and the cast and crew are looking forward to performing to full houses.  Please note that Picnic at Hanging Rock contains mature themes, parental discretion is advised re the age of audience members.

To purchase tickets please follow this link:

https://events.humanitix.com/ccg-picnic-at-hanging-rock

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

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:

Expression of Interest Form

Please speak to your science teacher or email Mrs Huddart if you have any questions.

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