What’s Happening at Middle School

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

 Week 8

• Tues 21 Nov – AMEB exams – Clarinet & Saxophone
• Wed 22 Nov – AMEB exams – Voice
• Wed 22 Nov – Year 5 Class Music Celebration Concert
• Wed 22 Nov – Year 7 & 8 GISSA Sporting fixtures
• Fri 24 Nov – Year 6 Market Day

Remembrance Day

Today our Middle School Campus community gathered to observe a minute of silence for Remembrance Day, November 11. This is the message shared by our student leaders for this occasion.

“We would like to recognise the First Custodians of the lands on which we gather this day; where we live, work and learn. We would like to acknowledge the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin nation as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our community is being built. We give thanks to our Almighty Creator God for the care and stewardship of this land; and we choose to pay our respect to the Indigenous elders, past, present and emerging, and to any Indigenous peoples present within our community today.  We also pray for the ongoing healing of damaged relationships between our Indigenous brothers and sisters and all non-Indigenous Australians, as we seek God’s work of reconciliation in and through all our relationships. 

Orientation Day

We appreciate that Orientation Day is a significant moment in the life of our young people as they begin their transition to a new year and start imagining all that it may have in store for them. This day for many also marked the commencement of their journey at Christian College and it was wonderful to welcome our new students and those transitioning from Junior School – Belmont into our community. Furthermore, it was encouraging to see the large number of families in attendance at our Year 5 and Year 7 Welcome Services, with many staying on for campus tours.  

Despite the feelings of nervous anticipation to begin, the day was a hive of activity filled with excitement and many smiling faces! Students quickly settled into their day through homeroom sessions, providing them the opportunity to connect with their 2024 homeroom teachers and begin forming new and beautiful friendships. Students were also given a taste of the learning programs to come including sport, drama, cooking, art, LOTE and music. Highlights of the Year 8 and 9 program saw aspiring future leaders present speeches to a packed Chapel, GEOS and Medieval Day tasters and competitive homeroom challenges.  

Days like Orientation Day remind us of the wonderful community we find ourselves in at Middle School – Highton; one which is nurturing, filled with love and care and provides rich learning programs for our students facilitated by passionate teaching staff. We trust each student and family felt and experienced this on Tuesday, setting the platform for the wonderful year to come in 2024! 

Ayo Bermain!

Let’s Play!

Research has consistently demonstrated the positive impact of play-based learning on a child’s literacy and language development, as well as their social and emotional skills, including the ability to build relationships with peers. Recognising the potential of this approach, sixth-grade students in an Indonesian language program were given the unique opportunity to expand their proficiency in the Indonesian language by designing and playing their own board game, drawing inspiration from the classic “Snakes and Ladders.”

Over the term, students engaged in the exploration of various linguistic elements, including colours, locations, and numbers, alongside learning essential game-related vocabulary such as “giliran siapa?” (whose turn?), “giliran saya” (my turn), “lempar dadu” (roll the dice), and other frequently used phrases. This immersive unit of study also acquainted students with the fundamentals of constructing Indonesian subject-verb-object sentences.

In small groups, students collaborated to create their custom game boards, sets of cards, unique game actions, and dice mechanics. In the coming weeks, they will be all set to engage in ‘bermain,’ which translates to playing and enjoying the fruits of their language learning efforts.

Bean Break

Wow! 12 months has flown by seeing the Bean Break Café and inaugural crew of Year 9 Baristas successfully launch at our Highton campus. The café has been a great addition to the CCG community, serving staff and students with a wide range of beverages and snack items with the exciting addition of milkshakes to the menu in Term 4!

It is at this time we say a massive thank you to the 24 Year 9 students who have done amazing work developing the quality reputation of the café, which is a testament to their professionalism and ability to step into their roles as business associates and staff members. The high-quality skills the students have developed behind the coffee machine, in front of customers and in the behind-the-scenes business operations has been nothing short of impressive! Thank you!

It is also an exciting time as we have successfully interviewed and appointed next year’s crew of Year 8 students who are enthusiastically undergoing their training this term. The students are already producing quality coffee and milkshakes for our community and thriving with big plans ahead for 2024!

Year 9s – Orientation at Senior Campus

Orientation Day at Senior Campus presents a unique chance for the current Year 9 students at both our Bellarine and Highton Middle Schools to navigate their way around the campus through a variety of fun activities and experiences. With no other students at school, apart from the friendly and helpful 2024 prefect group, there was ample opportunity for students to get to know new friends, new staff and to familiarise themselves with the new location.

After some introductions within House groupings, the prefects did an amazing job leading tour groups around the school. This fresh knowledge of campus locations, combined with their ability to decipher cryptic clues and complete challenge tasks, was tested in the Amazing Race, with the final clue leading them back to the BBQ lunch. Despite the heat and humidity of the day, students remained engaged in the afternoon’s elective activities – including theatre sports, café culture, trivia, twisted science, origami and ocha, and a wide variety of sports – truly something for everyone!

The smiling faces of students as they participated and enjoyed the company of friends both existing and new was fantastic to see. The Senior School staff and prefects were impressed by the willingness of the Year 9s to get involved, and we are looking forward to having this great group of students join Senior Campus in Transition Week, Dec 4 – 8.

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.

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.

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 

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!

We’re Hiring – Canteen Assistants

Are you looking for a fun and fulfilling casual job within a vibrant school environment? Join our team as a School Canteen Assistant and make a positive impact on the daily lives of our students.

We are currently in search of enthusiastic canteen assistants to join our team at our Middle School-Highton canteen.

Applicants are required to hold a valid Working With Children Check. Previous experience working in a canteen setting or Level 1 Food Safety Certificate would be advantageous but not essential. Responsibilities will encompass a range of tasks, including food preparation, customer service, cleaning, and stock control.

Shifts are available throughout Monday to Friday, aligned with the school calendar which constitutes 38 weeks per year. Hours are generally 9-2pm.

For a Position Description and how to apply, visit this page on our website.

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.