What’s Happening at Middle School

Week 6

• Tues 7 Nov – Orientation Day
• Wed 8 Nov – Year 7 & 8 GISSA Sporting fixtures
• Fri 10 Nov – Remembrance Day Service

Week 7

• Mon 13 Nov – 2024 Rural Experience and Transformation Programs Information Evening
• Tues 14 Nov – Thurs 16 Nov – Art Technology & Design Festival
• Tues 14 Nov – Drum Evening
• Wed 15 Nov – Year 7 & 8 GISSA Sporting fixtures
• Wed 15 Nov – Guitar Evening 1
• Thurs 16 Nov – Guitar Evening 2

Our 2023 ATD Festival – Better than Ever! 

We are excited once again to present our Annual Art, Technology and Design Festival. This year’s event runs from Tuesday, November 14 to Thursday, November 16 at Villa Paloma, our Senior School ATD centre, 25 Waurn Ponds Drive, Waurn Ponds. 

The Festival includes a magnificent exhibition of selected students' work from Art, Technology and Design classes – ranging from Kindergarten through to Year 12. 

The exhibition is open to all between 9am and 6pm on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15. 

On Thursday 16, the exhibition runs from 9am to 9pm, with the ‘Festival Finale’ getting underway from 4pm. Highlights include art, food, music, workshops and interactive events featuring some of our CCG ‘Creators in the Spotlight’ who take us through a range of creative, design, technical and artistic considerations behind some of their amazing creations. Guest speaker for this year’s Festival during the Finale is ex-CCG student, Bec Riddle, who has been a driven professional in the fashion industry for the past nine years, including operating her own business Saint Blaire. She is currently Studio Manager running the textiles and graphics department for Cotton On Womens and Foundation. 

For all details, including the program for the Festival Finale and a sneak peek at some of the art that will be part of the exhibition, please visit our website by clicking here, or on the homepage hotlink.

2024 Rural Experience and Transformation Programs Information Evening

All 2024 Year 9 families are invited to an important information evening about our 2024 Rural Experience and Transformation Programs.

This will be held in our Middle School – Highton Chapel from 6pm-7pm on Monday, November 13.

Our time together will give you and your young person the opportunity to meet and hear from key staff who will be working with our Year 9s next year, across both the Rural Experience at Back Creek Farm and the Transformation Program here at Middle School – Highton. There will also be a chance for you to ask questions, mingle with Year 9 teachers and other families, and receive an information pack about next year.

Please note, we request you bring your young person with you to this information session.

Orientation Day Key Reminders

We look forward with anticipation to Orientation Day, on Tuesday November 7.

The program for the day is designed to allow students to familiarise themselves with their new school environment, meet their Homeroom teacher, and get excited about the opportunities in store for 2024. A few key reminders are below. 

What to bring:

• Snack

• Water bottle

• Lunch

• Pencil Case

• Any necessary medications, e.g. Epi-pen, Ventolin inhaler, etc.

A Fantastic Year 5 Getaway!

Last week, the Year 5 students went on a cross-campus three-day camp to Log Cabin, Creswick. It was a great time away…many memories created, loads of fun, and plenty of immersive and experiential learning about Australian wildlife and the history of the Victorian Gold Rush.

On Wednesday, students visited the Ballarat Wildlife Park, where they saw and touched many native Australian animals, such as kangaroos, koalas and wombats. The reptile enclosure was also a hit. Students learned about the structural and behavioural adaptations of these animals, such as how they survive in different habitats, find food, and avoid predators. For example, they learned that kangaroos have long, strong legs and tails to help them hop fast and balance, koalas have sharp claws and thick fur to help them climb and stay warm, wombats have strong teeth and claws to help them dig burrows and eat roots, and crocodiles have scaly skin and powerful jaws to help them hunt and protect themselves.

On Thursday, all Year 5s went to Sovereign Hill, a living museum that shows what life was like on the Victorian Goldfields during the gold rush and the Eureka Stockade. Excitement was high when panning for gold in the creek and our miners kept some of the flakes they found. Students learnt how mines were created in the 1850s and completed mine tours, along with learning about different cultures that immigrated to Australia to try to strike it rich. They explored the old shops and buildings in the town, such as the bakery, the blacksmith, the candlemaker, and of course, we cannot forget the confectionery shop!

At Log Cabin Camp, students also enjoyed many outdoor activities, such as the Leap of Faith and the Giant Swing. These activities were exciting and challenging at the same time. Courage was tested, teamwork, and problem-solving skills enhanced. For example, in the leap of faith, students had to climb a pole and jump to catch a trapeze. In the giant swing, they had to pull a rope to lift their partner up and then let go to swing through the air.

Our camp was a very positive experience for everyone. The students had fun, made new friends, and learned a lot!

Year 7 Update

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through Term 4 as it doesn’t seem that long ago that the Year 7 students were just starting their secondary school journey.  There is a lot of learning happening in the classrooms at the moment and I thought that I might take this opportunity to share some of this with you.

In English classes, students are currently undertaking a study of the novel The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  This is an autobiography of William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi who built a windmill to provide electricity for his family and village.  The book tells the story of William’s life, from his childhood on a farm in rural Malawi, to his struggles with poverty, famine, and lack of education, to his curiosity and passion for science and technology.  The students are working through the novel, having rich discussions and completing a variety of related writing tasks.

In Maths, the Year 7s are working on an Assessment Task, ‘Powerful Probabilities’. They are using surveys results from across the entire cohort to gather and interpret data about the favourite Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Disney and Mattel characters. Following this, the focus will be on the statistical analysis of data obtained from completing times tables at speed. Results will be discussed, trends identified and displayed with a variety of graphs.

Enviro Club Pot Drive

The Middle School Highton Enviro Club has been diligently working throughout the year on various initiatives to make our campus more eco-friendly. In Term 2, our dedicated team propagated numerous indoor plants and have been nurturing them with care ever since. These plants are now ready to be re-potted and placed into our classrooms. However, for this, we require pots!

In the spirit of reusing and recycling, we kindly ask the CCG community to donate any unwanted or unused indoor pots. These pots can be ceramic or plastic, but they must be suitable for indoor use. If you have any pots that are in search of a new plant companion, please consider sending them our way. Pots can be dropped off at the student office anytime until the end of the year.

Your support is greatly appreciated by the Middle School Enviro Club.

Renee Garing’s Cats Strive for Finals Spot

Geelong Cats AFLW star, and Christian College Geelong teacher Mrs Renee Garing has announced her retirement from professional football. Renee’s elite sporting prowess, powerful leadership and enormous heart have inspired countless students and colleagues, and it has been exciting to watch her in action these past years. 

Renee has played 29 inspirational games with the Cats, and her 30th is scheduled for tomorrow evening, Saturday, November 4. The match kicks off at GMHBA Stadium at 5.05pm, and is a must win game for the Cats, in their quest to make the finals. 

Fans of Renee, the Cats, football, women’s sport and sport in general, are all encouraged to get down to the ground to support the team tomorrow evening. 

 While a win assures the team of a finals spot, and more games for Renee over the coming weeks, a loss likely means that tomorrow would be the last game of Renee’s remarkable career. 

Parent Survey Reminder: Generative AI, Education, Society and Future 

A reminder that all Christian College parents are invited to participate in a survey on generative artificial intelligence (AI), education, society and future to inform the College’s forward planning. 

• Take the CCG parent survey 

The parent survey is for all parents, regardless of their level of exposure to or confidence with generative AI. The survey closes this coming Monday, November 6 at 5.00pm. 

Thank you to parents who have already completed the survey. Your participation is appreciated. 

Parents who have not yet responded are encouraged to do so via the survey link above. The average response time for parents who have responded so far has been less than four minutes. We ask that you please contribute your perspective. 

MSO – Discounted Subscription for CCG Families

Music lovers take note, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra offers a discount subscription for staff, students and direct family of the Christian College Geelong community for a series of concerts held in Geelong. 

The 2024 MSO Geelong program returns with a wide-ranging repertoire of the finest classical music, taking in revered masterpieces: 

AMERICAN STORIES: BERNSTEIN, GERSHWIN AND MORE
Friday 12 April 2024 / 7.30pm 

MOZART AND TCHAIKOVSKY
Friday 24 May 2024 / 7.30pm


JAIME CONDUCTS RACHMANINOV AND DVORAK
Friday 28 June 2024 / 7.30pm


DVORAK AND BRUCKNER
Friday 6 September 2024 / 7.30pm 

HANDEL'S MESSIAH
Saturday 7 December 2024 / 7.30pm 

CCG Big Band Musos Performing for 20 Thousand Crowd on the Waterfront!  

Some  CCG Stage Band Members are joining students from other Geelong Schools at the invitation of the City of Greater Geelong to perform at the lighting of the city's floating Christmas Tree on Saturday Night November 11. The students are rehearsing a very lively ‘Motown’ set with peers from school bands across Geelong to perform for a huge crowd with over 20 thousand expected to attend. Congratulations to Will Harrison Y10, Katie Gardner Y10, Felix Kelly Y11, Declan Pritchard Y8 and Thomas Moffatt Y8 for their great work and we are looking forward to their performances at this huge celebration! 

Jam for Refugees  

Christian College Music Students and staff performed in support of the Jam for Refugees last Saturday at St Paul’s Church in Latrobe Terrace, Geelong.  

The Highton Year 5 string quartet, under the direction of Mrs Carnie, presented a very mature performance; Katelyn Yi - Violin, Emmi Sekine – Violin, Anna Wood – Viola and Isabel Shiu – Cello, impressed the audience playing their two pieces beautifully! Congratulations also to the VCE Wind Quartet composed of Alexis Jane Y11– Clarinet, Ella Ryan Y11 – Bassoon, Lucas Gelicrisio Y11- Bassoon and Mrs Mantelli on flute, who performed their entire VCE Music Repertoire Performance program, as a warmup prior to their final exam on the next day. Katie Gardner – Y10 and Mr Gardner performed a clarinet duet and three senior vocalists, Angel Lawrence Y12, Chloe Bailie Y11 and Nieve Smart Y12 performed solos accompanied by Mrs Thomae. 

These performances contributed an hour of beautiful music to the daylong event. Congratulations and thanks to the CCG Musicians who demonstrated wonderful musicianship and poise in support of this fundraiser for refugees. The donations at the door, throughout the day, raised $5,334.60 for the work of the Combined Refugee Action Group Legal Fund. 

Get Some Unique Christmas Cards and Support Williams House

This year Williams House is selling packets of Christmas cards designed by our own little artists!

We are selling our Angel/Shepherd cards for $5 for a pkt of 6 and our Nativity cards are $7 for a pkt of 10. Each packet contains either 6 or 10 different designs.

If you would like to support the kinder and share our creations with the community this Christmas, the cards are available at all CCG campus receptions and of course at Williams House. Payment can be made with cash or card.

We also take over-the-phone orders with direct deposit. Phone 5241 3556

All money raised will go towards making some new additions to our outdoor yards!

We hope you love these gorgeous creations and enjoy sharing them with your family and the community this Christmas!

With thanks from all the children and the team at WH!

Qustodio Parent App Resources

Supervise and Support Your Children on School and Personal Digital Devices

A reminder to parents that the Qustodio Parent App is available to all parents to help them supervise and support their children with their online and digital interactions at home, on both school laptops and on personal devices.

In addition to information available on the College’s Online Safety Hub, parents also have access to some helpful ‘bite-size learning’ video tutorials to help them navigate and user the Qustodio Parent App as part of our school program. There are lots of short videos to help parents get the most out of the app and use it confidently.

• Browse all the Qustodio bite-sized learning video tutorials

Some recent additions to these tutorial videos for parents include:

• • How to view your child’s online activity through the parent app
  • How to configure and use the Qustodio daily time limit feature (for personal devices)
  • How to configure and use the Qustodio restricted times features (for personal devices)

I hope that these resources empower parents to continue to supervise and support their young people at home and engage in supportive and positive dialogue about digital wellbeing.

VET Information

Students who have applied for a VET course for 2024 should now know if they have been offered a position or have been put on to a waitlist. Students who have been waitlisted will be put into one of their reserved CCG subjects until a position becomes available.

Students and parents should regularly check emails as the training organisations will be in touch directly with course specific information this term. The Gordon will be inviting new first year students and parents to an information session and tour at the City Campus on November 22 from 5.30 – 6.45pm and at East Campus on November 27 from 5.30 – 6.45pm.

The training organisations prefer that all VET correspondence comes through the school. If you have any questions or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me, [email protected] or Cathy Brew [email protected] in the student office.

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]