Middle School Term 3 week 1

These occasions provide an opportunity for me to speak with the students to encourage them and to share a message. My focus this term was to ask each of us to consider how we contribute to our community. I used a mirror to demonstrate how we can see ourselves in the reflection of our community and more importantly to use the mirror to reflect on how we contribute to making our community a welcoming, safe, and nurturing place to learn together. 

During the assembly, I talked about kindness and asked students to consider how they interact with others at school, online, outside of school and within their families, reminding us all of the commandment given to us in the Bible. 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34).  

The command to love each other was not new, but Jesus magnified it by adding the spirit of the law, that we be motivated to love each other with the self-sacrificing Godly love that Jesus showed. 

This term as we re-engage and re-connect with each other as a community, this is a wonderful reminder for us all, students, staff, and parents. 

Last semester concluded with perfect examples of community events that demonstrated the value that comes from being together when we gathered for the Year 11 Presentation Balls and the Year 12 Formal. These events were a credit to the young people involved for the way that they conducted themselves. I am most grateful to the staff and families for supporting them. 

Our annual Staff Retreat was held over three days prior to the semester break. We were blessed to be guided through a series of sessions led by Middle School Chaplain Mia Kafieris, titled ‘A Hero’s Journey’, guiding staff through a time of reflection, and personal growth. There was time dedicated to fellowship, worship and to honour colleagues that have reached significant milestones in their careers, serving our college over 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 years. These fabulous staff achievements are listed below. 

10 Years 

Kristen Barr 

Matthew Bonner 

Kim Doherty 

Renee Garing 

Nicola Morrish 

Kate Pritchard 

15 Years 

Ben Anderson 

Jane Bailey 

Stephanie Butler 

Kerrie Dapiran 

Shirley Lazaric 

Jonathan Maddock 

Steven Sullivan 

Regina Thomae 

Brendan Vanderkley 

Jessie Warren 

20 Years 

Andrew Allen 

Mandy Calderwood 

Mark Foran 

30 Years 

Paul Brewster 

Stephen Cody 

Glen McKeeman 

Karen Smits 

40 Years 

Daryl Riddle OAM 

I congratulate our colleagues and thank them for their contribution to the life of Christian College. It is particularly significant to celebrate and highlight our CEO, Mr. Daryl Riddle OAM, on the 40 years dedicated to visionary leadership and energy that has left a remarkable legacy for our College. Thank you, Daryl. 

The staff were blessed to commence this term with a service and to hear an encouraging message from Pastor Matt Jacoby, Senior Pastor from One Hope Baptist Church. 

After repeated cancellations over the last two and a half years the staff also had the privilege to hear Dr Jordan Nguyen speak on Monday following our commencement service. Dr Jordan Nguyen is described as one of Australia’s most innovative engineers, who is committed to improving the lives of as many people as possible, and to help become a driving force behind both human and technological evolution as we move into the future. 

An internationally renowned engineer for humanity, Jordan designs life-changing technologies to transform the lives of people with disabilities and the elderly through his role as founder of Psykinetic, a social business committed to bringing positive, sustainable and life-altering change, and shares his adventures through documentaries across the world. Inspired by human endeavour, Jordan has big ambitions to see our world step consciously and creatively into a better future. 

Jordan’s address was inspiring, engaging and a perfect fit with our college vision and philosophy for the ‘Learning That Matters.’ His encouragement to the staff will flow on to our students as a result of hearing about his experiences as a student and his work today. 

Term 3 has certainly commenced with a positive vibrancy and energy. I look forward to all that is in store for us in the coming weeks. 

Not only do staff sustain each other at Christian College Middle School – Highton, our first and foremost priority is to uphold and nurture all students to flourish not only academically but as a whole person. In attending to not only the flourishing of our students as individuals in all aspects of life to equip, foster, build and nurture their wellbeing, we create a flourishing community. This healthy, vibrant and strong community should be the safety net upon which all individuals can knowingly fall into and be held during challenging times. It should also be the net upon which we jump up and lift off from to achieve and grow. Most crucially, the fabric of this net should also hold firm our collective values and norms through which we work and learn. This is our hope and prayer in sustaining one another.

As we look back upon Semester 1 and step forward into a new Semester at school, we encourage all students to read through their most recent Summative Academic Report and Individual Education Plan Report (if applicable) alongside their parents or guardians. Doing this together should provide students with a fruitful opportunity for reflection in relation to celebrating achievements, acknowledging areas for future growth and also identifying opportunities that students are looking forward to in the Semester ahead.

It has been wonderful to welcome Mr Joel Furneaux as our new Middle School Chaplain working alongside Ms Mia Kafieris. We also welcome aboard Mr John Rees who is teaching Outdoor Education, Marine Studies and Worldviews, replacing Monica Cohen while she is on family leave. We are blessed to be welcoming back Mr Bernie Murnane who will be teaching Maths while Mrs Giulia Ellis enjoys six months of long service leave. Mrs Megan Clarke from Senior School is joining us to teach Year 5 Science and Mrs Laura Hollingsworth, another existing CCG staff member, is teaching Year 6 Music. We thank each of these teachers for joining us and trust that their first week (or first week of return) at Middle School – Highton has been as positive as it could be.

On behalf of both Adam and Kerrie, I wish all of our families a wonderful term ahead!

This term the activities are: 

Monday – Chess, cards, board games  

Tuesday – Dragon Skin, K. Foxlee, read by Mrs Groves 

Wednesday – Minecraft Club with Mr Ellery  

Thursday – Knitting/crochet with Ms Barry 

Friday – Mindfulness /drawing/puzzles 

Traditionally and importantly, libraries are also places for studying and reading. With that in mind we have created some quieter and more organised areas that allow students to have the opportunity to engage in study or complete homework tasks.   

A welcoming and comfortable lounge space has also been included for students to sit and chat with friends. 

We look forward to implementing these changes and and we welcome student feedback. 

Changes to the Fiction Room are coming soon, stay tuned! 

The Year 8 project brief is to incorporate LED lighting to make an ‘eco lamp’.  Many students chose to use traditional hand tools to build desk lamps, while others intricately planned, CAD drew then laser cut their entire project.  Greea McKeegan built a mountain scene and then backlit it, which was an innovative use of lighting for purely aesthetic purposes.    

At the Year 9 level, students were given the task of designing and building a passive amplifier for their phones.  Rose Gladki’s project incorporated lights to illuminate a Spotify sound wave in her carefully constructed holder/amplifier.   

Developing New Futures is the Year 5 taster course that exposes our youngest students at the campus to our range of tools, equipment, and materials.  They have been building toys and their sanding skills are now highly developed!  George Kitson’s airplane demonstrates his attention to detail, and with support he was able to make custom-designed and cut parts using the laser cutter for his project.  I look forward to seeing what he will create in the Product Design Materials elective when he hits Year 7! 

Year 7 students have built storage boxes.  Not all the students’ boxes are the same, that’s for sure!  Cuan Bester decided to make a box with a drawer.  He independently planned and constructed this project; the result is great!  While it is more work allowing students to design and build their own boxes, the rewards are great as individual projects are completed.  Millie Cuthbertson’s unwavering eye for both quality construction and the aesthetic resulted in a box embellished with a laser-cut flower . . . groovy stuff!   

Product Design is about craftsmanship; however, it is also about learning through ‘trial and error’, a sorely underestimated commodity in education.  You will notice a column in your child’s report last semester titled ‘approaches tasks with a growth mindset’.  Please know that here at Christian College, we are committed to challenging your children so that they are working in what we called the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ where tasks aren’t too easy and not too hard, but just right!   

A Reflection from Mr. Kehler  

Our Woodwork room is filled with tools that measure, cut and guarantee precision.  May I please take this moment to challenge you to reflect on how similar these tools are to what God has given us in His Word and in Jesus?  A piece of wood may seem to be cut at a perfect right angle but can be proven inaccurate when held against a square.  Similarly, our thoughts and actions may sometimes seem right to us; however, only when we measure ourselves against Jesus’ perfect life and how He teaches us to live do we realise we fall short; I certainly see this in my own life.  Indeed, Paul says in Romans 3:23 that we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.  Thankfully, we have a loving God who has made a way to right relationship with Himself and with others despite our shortcomings and when we don’t ‘measure up’ (pun intended) just by acknowledging our failures and putting our trust in Jesus.  John 3:16-17 reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  

Year 9: Rose Gladki’s illuminated ‘Spotify’ amp

Year 7: Millie Cuthbertson’s box . . . perfection! 

Year 9: Lachlan Challenger’s ‘Cat Amp’.  In front of his project are a few pages of his planning showing sketches, research and considerations regarding material choice and a colour palette with digital drawings.  This amp really purrs!  Internally, the amp is designed with a customized, laser -cut chamber that amplifies the music to about twice the volume produced by the phone on its own! 

Year 5: George Kitson’s flyer.  He sanded this using increasingly finer grit to a glass-like finish.  The propellor and wings are laser cut using George’s own innovative mounting ‘slot’ design.    

Year 7: Cuan Bester’s ‘Map Box’ . . . high-level skills!

~PROJECT SPOTLIGHT~ 

Year 8: Greea McKeegan’s backlit mountain range.  Stunning.  Can you see the squirrel?   

Greea puts maximum effort into so many aspects of her life.  Whether she’s on the basketball courts or in the Product Design room, her work ethic is consistent.  I commend her on this project and how she pushed through mistakes and challenges and remained committed to the task.  As we say here in Australia . . . she ‘learned heaps’!   

• Candid interviews with kids and teens, who discuss their anxiety, its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope

• Expert perspectives, (from institutions such as Stanford University, Child Mind Institute), who talk about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects and resources to help

• Tips, tricks and strategies to help reset thinking patterns, push back against anxiety and support others

• Awareness that anyone can be touched by – and overcome – anxiety, via a unique and revealing interview with mental health advocate Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history

This event will book out quickly so please register here for this FREE event. 

These sessions provide interested families with the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the fantastic learning programs offered by our College. There will be opportunities to meet and speak with campus, year level and subject area leaders.  

We would encourage anyone within our College community who may know friends, neighbours, work colleagues – anyone – that are considering Christian College as an option to spread the word and extend an invitation to any one or more of these sessions.