What’s Happening at Middle School
Week 3
- Mon 31 July – Netball Vic. ‘All Schools’ Qualifying Round Intermediate Girls
- Tues 1 Aug – Naga High visit Welcome Service
- Wed 2 Aug – Year 7 & 8 GISSA Sporting Fixture
- Wed 2 Aug – Indonesian Study Tour 2024 – Parent Information Evening
- Thurs 3 Aug – Christian College Piano Performance & Workshop Day
- Fri 4 Aug – Year 6 Holocaust Museum Excursion
Week 4
- Mon 7 Aug – Naga High visit to Middle School – Highton
- Mon 7 Aug – 2023 Elective Subject Information Evening
- Tues 8 Aug – GISSA Intermediate Boys ( Year 9 & 10) Soccer Championships
- Tues 8 Aug – Choir Concert Middle School – Highton and Senior School – Waurn Ponds Campus’
- Wed 9 Aug – Thurs 10 Aug – Vic Schools Music Festival – Regional Bands Section
- Wed 9 Aug – VSMF Highton Novice Concert Band
- Wed 9 Aug – VSMF Highton Intermediate Concert Band
- Wed 9 Aug – Year 7 & 8 GISSA Sporting Fixture
- Thurs 10 Aug – GISSA Intermediate Girls ( Year 9 & 10) Soccer Championships
Big Science Competition
In this week’s year group assembly’s certificates were given out to students across the Year 7 to Year 9 cohort who had entered the Big Science Competition during Term 2. The competition consists of a 50 minute Science quiz assessing STEM skills of analysis, evaluation, critical thinking and problem solving. Well done to Year 7 student Locky Rice, Year 8 students Toby Standen, Keira Minett, Peter Thompson, Mason Brand, and Archer Bright, and Year 9 student Angus Copper on their Participation certificates. A special congratulations to Sebastian De Marte in Year 8, on achieving a Distinction, which places him in the top 15 % of entrants across Australia.
Victoria Corkin
We’re back in a big way in Year 6!
The return to school is always met with a buzz of apprehension and excitement. After the well-earned holidays, our Year 6 students were keen to be back in the classroom and the community that brings them so much variety. This brand-new semester means that the students are undertaking new classes and embarking on a new adventure of learning and fun. These experiences include learning about culture in Indonesian, baking some tasty treats in Secret Ingredient and designing something brand new in Stemming the Tide. Similarly, the students have picked up where they left off last term with all their other subjects, looking to improve upon the foundation last semester that they created. In English and Humanities our focus has been around the levels of government and how political structures and real change can occur in communities. This is assisted by our reading of ‘Once’, a novel based within a time of WW2 in Germany that showcases a less than impressive government system and treatment of people. This has allowed students to compare and contrast what they know about modern government and as a byproduct have elicited wonderful mature conversations. This work will create a great foundation for the Year 6’s excursion in a few weeks to Melbourne where we will visit the Holocaust Museum.
Connections have been reestablished and a handful of brand new friendships are forming with a few new students starting with us in Year 6 at the start of the term, a welcome addition to our Year 6 family.
All the Year 6 teachers are excited for what this term will bring for all students. Plenty to offer and we encourage every student to take up the opportunities that this school has on offer. The mind starts to wonder however to what is coming up, and that is Year 7 and everything that this next journey will take them on. The road to success next year starts now and the teachers will be encouraging the students to put their very best foot forward in all areas so that they can finish the year well and be confident in what they can bring next year.
Good luck to all.
Callen Wade
Victorian School Music Festival
On Monday of this week, the Middle School String Ensembles form Highton and Bellarine had the opportunity to take part in the Victorian School Music Festival. The day began with a combined rehearsal at the RW Gibson Auditorium, as the groups had rehearsed separately, and this was their first and last chance to put the finishing touches on their performance pieces as a combined ensemble.
After a smooth bus trip to the Hawthorn Arts Centre, the students were able to warm up and have a brief rehearsal, before taking to the stage for their performance. Members in the audience included students from other schools as well as some family members that had come to cheer along the Christian College students.
Following on from a very polished presentation, the chief adjudicator Chris Kopke, took to the stage and workshopped some ideas and strategies to improve their playing and performance as an ensemble.
Each student should be extremely proud of the way they represented Christian College in a public forum, and for the way in which they participated and contributed on the day.
The end result speaks for itself as the combined group was awarded a “Gold” award for their performance- a testament to each student’s dedication to home practice and concentration in rehearsals. Well done to all involved!
Martin DeMarte, Coordinator of Strings
New Staff Induction – Nurturing Faith
Christian College is proud to offer an intensive three-term New Staff Induction Program, aimed at supporting the seamless integration of new staff into our vibrant school community. In the context of the current teacher crisis in Australian Education, this induction holds even greater significance, as we strive to provide unwavering support and close engagement with our staff, nurturing and retaining them within our school.
Recent statistics from 2022 have revealed a concerning trend, with approximately 50 per cent of teachers seriously contemplating leaving the profession. In a post-COVID era, the issue of teacher burnout has become more prevalent than ever. Therefore, it is imperative that we invest in our staff’s wellbeing and foster a strong sense of connection to our school community. When our educators feel genuinely connected, valued, and supported, they are infused with the energy and motivation not only to remain in the teaching industry but also to wholeheartedly invest in developing effective and enriching student learning programs.
This week’s induction session centred around the theme of Nurturing Faith, delving deep into our College strategic goal and exploring how each staff member’s role can contribute to its realisation. The session was skilfully facilitated by Dean of Christian Culture, Mia Kafieris, and Chaplain, Darcee Braun. Through engaging and interactive activities, they encouraged the staff to ponder their individual interpretations of “expectations, value, nurturing, and faith.”
The session sparked rich discussions, forging a strong sense of camaraderie among the participants as they shared their perspectives and ideas. It also provided a platform for further personal and professional development, ensuring that our staff can approach their roles with a deeper understanding of our College’s commitment and ethos.
One of the fundamental outcomes of this induction was the assurance that our school truly values not only the personal faith journeys of our staff but also those of our students. This inclusive approach underlines the sense of belonging and purpose that permeates our workplace.
As we conclude this induction program, we remain committed to fostering an environment where every staff member feels empowered, supported, and encouraged to thrive in their role. Together, we can build a resilient and dedicated teaching community that places student learning at the heart of everything we do.
Ingrid Staggard, Director of Learning Design and Teacher Development
Subject Selection Information Evening
On Wednesday July 26 our campus hosted the 2024 subject selection evening, it was a great evening that showcased what a great place our senior campus and the opportunities available for students to thrive in their education. The night provided many of you the opportunity to explore subjects, meet teachers and engage with our many support services. We encourage you to continue the conversation at home around subject selections and use the tools available to assist you with this. The Senior School Hub is a great source of information regarding subject selections. To further support students to make subject selections with their learning pathway in mind, the College has developed Pathways Mapping software. This software is available on the Senior School Hub under the “Subject Information” tab.
Drew Oliver, Acting Head of Senior School
Sport Update
The 2023 All Schools XC Championships were held last Saturday at Bundoora Park in beautiful running conditions. In the wake of some very good performances at the GISSA Championships last term, the following students represented our college at the All Schools, which attracts some of the best runners from across the State.
Thomas Stefanovski (Yr7 Bellarine Campus) and Nate Bradley (Yr7 Highton Campus) competed in the U14 boys’ section where 170+ competitors completed the undulating 3km course. Nate finished in 49th position with a time of 10:57mins, and Thomas finished 85th in 11:35mins. Both boys competed brilliantly against some quality competition, where the winner’s time was 9:39mins.
Lewis Reed (Yr8 Highton Campus) ran solidly in the U15 boys’ age group, finishing 75th in a field of 150+ competitors. His time of 15:29mins for the 4km course was a credit to him, with the winner clocking 12:02mins.
Suzanna Mavromihalis (Yr10) and Shelley Forkgen (Yr11) competed in the U17 and U18 age groups, respectively. Both girls ran very well, attacking the 4km course with some strong running. Suzanna finished in 6th position in a time of 14:30mins, only 40sec behind the winner. Shelley finished in 25th spot in a time of 15:53mins.
Jacob McKie and Aaron Hanson (both Yr12) competed in the U20 age group, which was an 8km course on the day. Jacob and Aaron ran against a quality field of 70+ competitors, where Aaron completed the course in a time of 33:27mins (43rd position) and Jacob finished strongly in 17th spot in a time of 28:06mins (winner’s time was 25:29mins).
On behalf of the college, we congratulate all these students on their performances at this State event. We wish to congratulate Suzanna and Jacob on their selection in the Victorian team that will compete next month at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Canberra. Well done Suzanna and Jacob on this fantastic achievement, and all the very best in Canberra.
Andrew Richardson, Director of Sport
Promoting Parent Tools and Resources for Digital Safety and Wellbeing at Home
At this early point in a new semester, and with several families who are new to the CCG community across our campuses, I’d like to encourage all parents to partner with us in your child’s digital safety and wellbeing by making use of the parent tools and resources available to all of our parents through our Cyber Safe Schools Program.
Base Level ‘Safety Filtering’ on College Laptops and VPNs
Most parents will be aware that we provide a base level of ‘safety cover’ filtering of internet content on all College student devices. This filtering is always active, on any network (home or school). The purpose of this level of filtering is to help protect students from potentially harmful content when they are engaging online – anywhere, anytime.
A change we will be making on school devices from August 14 is that VPN traffic will also be included in this base level of safety filtering. This is an important improvement to ensure that our safety filtering can always function correctly. This will mean that from 14th August, students will not be able to access and use VPNs on their school device.
Qustodio Parent App An important element of our 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. 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). Families with a child who is new to the College this term We are preparing to share some introductory information and an invitation via email next week to register and have access to the Qustodio Parent App. Look out for this email coming soon. Helpful Guide Videos for Parents I’m sure parents will find the two videos linked below very helpful. More Information and Help CCG Online Safety Hub If you’re a parent or guardian seeking advice, information and guidance around any aspect of digital wellbeing, online safety and young people then the parent advice section of our CCG Online Safety Hub is a great place to start. I hope that the above resources and tools are of support to all our families, enabling you to engage with and support your young people in the digital space.
Help for parents to navigate and make use of the information on the "Timeline" report within Qustodio.
This video provides parents (of schools that partner with Linewize) with a practical guide for how they can get help with their Qustodio Parent tools.
Brendan Vanderkley
East Timor Trivia Night
Preparations are underway for our annual Trivia Night which raises much needed funds for the work we do in Viqueque, East Timor.
Money raised this year will help pay for a new roof for Uma Maun Alin – Friendship House – where some amazing staff and volunteers run kindergarten classes for local little ones and English classes for older children and teens.
Part of the night is a Silent Auction and we are asking CCG families for any donations.
Some donations made already, thanks to the hard work of some of our prefects, include: a signed Cats guernsey, personal training sessions, café vouchers, Geelong Lawn tennis memberships, tennis racquet and re-stringing voucher, a vet clinic voucher... and so much more!
If you are in a position to be able to donate something to this incredibly worthwhile cause please contact:
Surfcoast Campus: Claire Deretic
Junior School: Carla Dunlop
Highton Campus: Graham Barton
Bellarine Campus: Samantha Bett
Senior School: Lee Stringer
Graham Barton
2023 CCG Science Photography Competition
As part of National Science Week, the CCG Science Faculty is delighted to invite our Year 5-12 students to enter the 2023 CCG Science Photography competition.
Students are asked to submit photographs which record some scientific event or illustrate some scientific phenomenon. They may submit between three and six photographs, which must be linked by a common theme. Prints must be submitted.
The topic may be based on any scientific theme or you may use the theme for this year’s science week which is Innovation: Powering Future Industries.
Competition entries must be submitted before Friday August 11.
Winners will be announced and entries displayed as part of our National Science Week celebrations.
We are offering three age categories for the competition.
Junior – Years 5 and 6
Intermediate – Years 7 – 9
Open – Years 10 – 12
Detailed guidelines and entry forms are included here and can also be obtained from your science teacher.
Good luck to all entrants, we look forward to viewing your submissions!
2023 Photography entry guidlines
Elissa Huddart, Director of Science
Important VET Information and Subject Selection for 2024
Vocational Education Training (VET) is offered as a subject in Year 10, 11 and 12 at CCG Senior Campus. Students travel off campus to either The Gordon or a government or catholic school (non-Gordon) who offer the courses one afternoon a week. Year 10 students who select VET also study VCE VM Unit 1 Work Related Skills over the whole year and complete one week of work experience. VET is mandatory for students studying VCE Vocational Major (VM) and optional for VCE (ATAR) students. More information can be found in the subject selection booklets and VET tab located in the Senior School Hub on SEQTA.
VET Course Information, Application Processes and Dates for 2024
- SELECT VET AS A CCG SUBJECT.
- Create a Unique Student Identifier at https://www.usi.gov.au/
- Choose your VET course from either The Gordon or Non-Gordon supplier.
- APPLY FOR YOUR VET COURSE. Choose PM classes only.
NON-GORDON COURSES (GOVERNMENT AND CATHOLIC SCHOOL OFFERINGS)
COURSE INFORMATION AND HARD COPY APPLICATION FORMS can be found on the Senior School Hub under the VET tab and at CCG campus student offices. All Year 9,10 and 11 students and parents will be informed via email.
A HARD COPY APPLICATION FORM FOR NON-GORDON COURSES IS TO BE COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO CCG Senior Campus student office via email to [email protected]
HARD COPY APPLICATIONS are now open for all 2024 Year 10 – 12 students for NON- GORDON COURSES closing August 18 for CCG students.
GORDON COURSES
Course information and online application links can be found on the Senior School Hub under the VET tab on SEQTA.
ONLINE APPLICATIONS OPEN AUGUST 1 for VCE, VCE VM & VPC STUDENTS ONLY and AUGUST 15 for YEAR 10 STUDENTS. ONLINE APPLICATIONS CLOSE for all CCG students on AUGUST 18.
General Information
VET placements are highly sought after so early applications are highly recommended. Most VET courses run over 2 years. VET typically runs on Wednesday afternoons for first year students and Monday afternoons for second year students.
Year 10 VET students’ study VCE Unit 1 Work Related Skills for three periods a week and attend VET for two periods a week. They do a work placement in the first week of the holidays at the end of Term 2.
CCG provides transport to VET – students make their own way home from their courses. VET courses incur an additional fee that is course dependent. CCG offers a subsidy on VET courses.
Note that applications for SBAT courses typically 1 year duration unless a trade, can be made using the Non-Gordon hard copy VET application form until a new one becomes available.
For any queries about VET or SBAT please contact Kerryn Fearnsides at Senior Campus on 5241 1577 or at [email protected]
VET COURSES available for Secondary Students 2024
Kerryn Fearnsides, Vocational Pathways Coordinator
Discover Prep Week
During Discover Prep Week, August 7 – 11, three CCG campuses are offering interested parents, families and guardians the opportunity to get a firsthand view of Prep at Junior School-Belmont, Bellarine Campus and Surf Coast Campus. Our Prep programs are unparalleled and we invite anyone interested in enrolling children in Prep in 2024 and beyond, to come and visit, join a class, see our facilities, speak with teachers and campus leaders and have their questions answered. There are multiple opportunities at each of the three campuses to participate.
We would encourage our College community to spread the word about Discover Prep Week to anyone who is considering school choices for their children in 2024 and beyond.
All details, including booking information for sessions, can be found on our Discover Prep Week webpage – hit the hotlink on our homepage or click here to access it.
Scholarship Applications are Now Open!
Each year Christian College offers Academic Excellence Scholarships for entry at Year 5, 7 and 10 levels. Applications are now open for this year’s scholarships, which apply to entry in 2025, at three campuses – Middle School-Highton, Bellarine Campus and Surf Coast Campus.
Year 10 entry applies to Senior School-Waurn Ponds only.
To find out more, and to apply, visit our website and look for the homepage hotlink, or click here.
Scholarship applications are open to students who do not currently attend Christian College, as well as those who are currently enrolled here. Scholarship examinations will be held at Christian College on Saturday October 7. Closing date for applications is Thursday, September 28.
Foundation Golf Day 2023
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, we are delighted to announce the Christian College Foundation Golf Day tournament for 2023.
Save the date: Thursday November 9.
We are seeking prizes for this event – if you own a local business and are interested in creating partnership opportunities with Christian College, please contact Fiona Provan on 0400 477 467, or email [email protected]
Uniform Shop Clearance Sale!
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
