From the Acting Head of Senior School
It is always encouraging to zoom out and see all the amazing opportunities provided to students at our Senior Campus during any particular week. Week 3 of Term 2 is certainly no exception. Depending on your child’s year level, subjects, and areas of talent and passion, this week may have seen them involved in some of the following events:
- Living with the Alcoota indigenous community in Central Australia as part of their Our World – First Nations studies.
- Exploring natural and man-made landmarks in the Apollo Bay area as part of their Geography studies.
- Representing Geelong schools at the Victorian Schools Swimming Championships.
- Exploring the Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park as part of their Outdoor & Environmental Studies.
- Visiting the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie as part of their Business Management studies.
- Learning the first steps of their dances for the Presentation Balls.
- Performing in the production of Picnic at Hanging Rock.
- Planting trees at Back Creek Rural Campus as part of their VCE VM studies.
- Visiting the Victorian BioScience Education Centre as part of their Gene Science studies.
- Representing the College in the 3×3 Interschools Basketball Championships or the GISSA Athletics Championships or representing their House in the House Netball Tournament.
We are proud of the myriad opportunities afforded to our students that allow them to build on and apply the skills and knowledge they are gaining in the classroom; to develop a greater appreciation for the diversity of our world, of both people and places; to let their talents shine and to work with others through teams; and to have fun!
This week has not been an anomaly; this is life on our campus! Next week will bring more opportunities for students in other areas and with other passions. I hope that you have the chance to hear from your child about the co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences they are enjoying at Senior School this term and the way these experiences are helping them to develop both their knowledge and character.
Damian Stephenson, Acting Head of Senior School
Senior Product Design and Technology – Textiles
Year 11 Unit 1 students have construction well underway of a redesigned shirt/dress into a more sustainable version of an analysed existing garment. They have made and modified their individual patterns to suit their unique, creative designs and have started to put the pieces together. Examples of folio work can be seen below. The Year 12 Unit 3 students are in the process of using their research and end user feedback on developmental work to come up with some viable design options for their unique products. They will use these to communicate their design ideas to their end user group. The students travelled to Melbourne to attend the Top Designs exhibition at The Melbourne Museum to view top exemplars of work from students across the state in 2022, as inspiration for their folio work.
Kerryn Fearnsides
Year 12 Geography – Otways Field Trip
This term in Year 12 Geography, students have been focusing on land use change, and the impact that the banning of logging and transformation of the Otways into a National Park has had on local communities.
On Monday May 8, students got the opportunity to hear from a member of the Otway Ranges Environmental Network (OREN). OREN were the leading force behind many logging protests throughout the Otways between 1995 and 2008. Through an exploration of the forests of Grey River we learnt about the various methods of protest used at logging coups, and the challenges that OREN faced to protect the Otway forests. We then headed north and explored Sabine Falls and could appreciate Apollo Bay from above at Mariner’s Lookout. As the sun went down and the cold crept in, we enjoyed a hot meal in Apollo Bay before finishing the night with a movie back at the accommodation.
Tuesday morning started with breakfast at the hostel and finished with a tour of the Cape Otway Lighthouse and Light Station. Whilst overlooking the joining of the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait, students could truly appreciate the rugged landscape, treacherous cliffs and magnificent wildlife.
I hope all students enjoyed their time in the Otways and appreciated the different ways in which the land has changed in the region.
Kimberley Simkin
National Science Youth Forum
An opportunity for current Year 11 students in January 2024
Are you a Year 11 student passionate about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)? Do you want to meet like-minded young people from across Australia? Do you want to learn more about your study and career options? Look no further than the 2024 National Youth Science Forum Year 12 Program! Applications are open now – for more details, visit this website.
Elissa Huddart, Director of Teaching and Learning - Science
Mindful Mondays in May
Mindful Mondays in May activities continued in the library this week, where we discovered the:
The power of paper
Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. This activity has been associated with mindfulness. Its simplicity, the feeling of textures and creases and the visual result that emerges, all offer excellent ways to practice mindfulness and relax the body and mind. Origami provides both a mental and physical stimulus, not only for the hands but also for one’s mind. The use of your hands stimulates areas of the brain, improving short-term memory. It offers a calming and relaxing effect by following a simple step-by-step process, which can be repeated and taught again and again, until success is achieved. Students and staff got involved making paper cranes and paper boxes. Many thanks to Mrs Oataway and her assistants for their clever hands and time.
If making paper cranes and paper boxes was not your ‘thing’, students were also able to make paper planes. Several students got involved and tested their paper folding skills to make a variety of different designed paper planes. The best part of this mindful activity was the end result… testing how far they will fly. Many thanks to Mr Kondos who was our paper plane pilot.
Next week, we learn about the “Power of Wool”. The calming effect it can have on the mind and how your artwork can boost your self-esteem and confidence.
Careers Newsletter
Please find attached the Career Newsletter. Topics include:
YEAR 12 STUDENTS
- Early entry programs: guides for Victoria, Canberra and NSW institutes.
- ADF Gap Year Program
- Australian Federal Police – 2024 Directions Program
- UCAT ANZ – registrations close soon
- Scholarship programs for high achievers
- Digital apprenticeship program
- Defence Civilian Undergraduate Sponsorship – cyber security and computer science
- Victorian Indigenous Engineering Winter School
- Work experience programs
- SheCommerce program – The University of Melbourne
YEAR 10 + 11 STUDENTS
- National Youth Science Forum – applications now open
- Work experience programs
- SheCommerce program – The University of Melbourne
- Swinburne University – Astronomy and Astrophysics work experience
- The Santos Science Experience
ALL STUDENTS
- Explore your global university options
- Research TAFE and university courses
- Maths careers
- Motorsports courses
- Careers in IT
- National security careers – Australian Signals Directorate
- Natural health courses
- Careers with the Australian Federal Police
- Apprenticeships and traineeships
- Careers in sport
- How a podiatrist saved Peter’s life
Bec Bromilow
Careers in Victoria Police
Interested in a career in Victoria Police?
Hear about the recruitment process and training at the Police Academy. It’s also your opportunity to ask questions about police careers and pathways. Two options for your calendar:
- An online session is being run on Tuesday 16 May at 6-7:30pm – register HERE
- A face-to-face session is being run on Wednesday August 23rd at 6-8pm at Rydges Geelong, Cnr Gheringhap & Myers Street Geelong – register HERE
Bec Bromilow
ChatGPT, Generative AI and Young People
Information and guidance for parents
Parents may be aware of the news and hype around recent developments in generative AI (artificial intelligence), especially the digital tool ChatGPT that launched in November last year. ChatGPT reached a million users in five days, and by January of this year had 13 million daily users.
By typing in a specific prompt, a person can ask ChatGPT to produce a written response and it will create it in seconds. It can produce emails, poems, song lyrics, speeches, reviews, recipes, stories, social media posts, working program code, and academic essays and reports. It can analyse text and code, and offer advice on improvements, corrections, and alternative approaches for just about any written text.
ChatGPT facilitates a chat-based conversation between the person and the AI chatbot that produces the output, allowing for questions, refinements, and iterations on the original output until the resultant text suits the intentions of the user.
Since ChatGPT’s launch late last year, there has been an explosion in the proliferation and availability of similar digital tools to the average person – including our young people. Google and Microsoft are racing to build AI tools into their browsers, office suites and search engines, and you may have heard of Microsoft’s new Bing Chat or Google’s BardAI.
Popular social media platforms are including AI features with the same capabilities as ChatGPT into their features, such as SnapChat’s ‘MyAI’ feature and Discord’s ‘Clyde’ AI chatbot. Other AI tools available online allow the creation of images, artwork, and music from a straightforward text prompt.
ChatGPT and similar AI tools have their limitations, including the potential to produce inaccurate information or to return text that has inherent biases. Depending on the AI tool used, it can also be difficult to cite sources or track back and identify where the information originally came from. The free version of ChatGPT is not a real-time search engine and only has access to information up to 2021, so the text output it produces may be outdated.
Generative AI and Education
The proliferation and accessibility of these digital tools for our young people presents both opportunities and challenges for education. It prompts questions for teachers and schools such as:
- What does this mean for contemporary learning?
- How does this influence our approach and thinking around assessment?
- What are the issues of safe and ethical use?
At Christian College, we have begun to grapple with these questions and are taking a careful and measured approach towards the development of guidelines and policy around the use of AI tools in the context of learning.
On Wednesday, May 3, teaching staff from across all campuses were well-represented at an in-house professional learning event introducing ChatGPT, generative AI and education where the limitations, opportunities, and challenges of these tools in the education context were explored. There is potential for these tools to provide many benefits to teachers and students in the classroom setting in future, if used within an appropriate framework that promotes age-appropriateness, privacy and safety, ethical use, and an understanding of these tools’ limitations.
Interim guidelines for staff were released while we work towards developing more formal and robust policy. These interim guidelines acknowledge that most AI tools require a personal account for use and come with Terms of Use that require users to be 18+ or else 13+ with parental consent. As with any online technology-based tool, student safety and privacy are an important consideration.
Currently, student access to ChatGPT and AI tools is filtered, to the degree possible, on their school device during school hours. This is a short-term approach as we continue to review and develop more formalised policy and explore implications for teaching and learning, including assessment.
We’ll continue to consider what this means for our College and community going forward in the context of our philosophical statement, which acknowledges that we live in a “progressively technological age” and identifies a commitment to adopting the best educational technology practices to support student learning. Our response to the increasing availability of AI tools must ensure we enable students to be their best and to thrive and positively influence their world – now and into the future.
Guidance and Support for Parents
I encourage parents to engage with their young people at home, especially teenagers and those using social media, about experiences they may have had with AI tools such as ChatGPT and to experiment and explore together.
For parents new to this technology, you may find value in viewing the video below at home – together with your young person – and considering possibilities and questions that it prompts. This twelve-minute video ‘Why OpenAI’s ChatGPT is Such a Big Deal’, though produced by American news channel CNBC, provides an engaging and accessible overview of ChatGPT, generative AI, its limitations and possible future impacts.
- View the video: Why OpenAI’s ChatGPT is Such a Big Deal (CNBC, February 2023)
I also highly recommend the two parent support articles below. While they both focus primarily on ChatGPT, the guidance and parent advice can be equally applied to any generative AI tool.
- Guide to ChatGPT for Parents and Caregivers (Common Sense Media)
- ChatGPT and its Role in Education (parent advice on our CCG Online Safety Hub)
Parents and young people should be aware that:
- ChatGPT and AI tools like it can get things wrong, and their information shouldn’t be trusted.
- Confidential or personally identifiable information (such as names) should not be entered into AI tools as part of a prompt due to risks to privacy.
- These tools have clear Terms of Use, requiring that users are over 18, or at least 13 if they have parental consent to use them.
- AI-generated content should not be used in the context of school without discussion and explicit approval by their teacher, and only in specific cases. Parental consent will be sought for such activities.
- It is important to be mindful of privacy when using AI tools, and personal information shouldn’t be included in data provided to them (for example, as part of a prompt).
It is important for parents to know that the use of AI tools will not be introduced by teachers in the context of learning activities and assessments for now, and this will only occur in future with careful planning, communication, and explicit consent from relevant parents.
Brendan Vanderkley, Director of Digital Learning
Vocation Education and Training (VET) Tasters
Year 9 and 10 Preparation for Vocational Education and Training (VET) in 2024
Senior School students can choose to study a VET course off-campus as a subject in Year 10, 11 and 12. These courses are usually undertaken over two years giving students a TAFE certificate qualification on leaving school in addition to their VCE. They providestudents with an opportunity to gain industry training assisting them with career pathways. The Gordon is offering some free VET tasters for interested students.
Registrations are now open for Taste of TAFE sessions.
This brilliant two-day program will give Year 9 and 10 students an insight into the incredible careers TAFE can deliver. They run from 9.30 am – 2.30 pm and students can choose to do one or both days. Taste of TAFE is a fun and engaging program that will see students get hands-on with all program areas at their East Geelong and Geelong City campuses.
Tuesday July 18 2023 Taste of TAFE at East Geelong Campus
Tuesday July 25 2023 Taste of TAFE at Geelong City Campus
Registration forms and information about the tasters on offer can be collected from the student office or Year 9 Coordinator. Forms must be completed and returned to the student office no later than May 24. Early application is advisable.
For more information about studying VET at Senior School please contact Kerryn Fearnsides via k.fearnsides@ccg.vic.edu.au
Kerryn Fearnsides, Vocational Pathways Coordinator
The Story of Buikarin
Buikarin is a small rural community half an hour away from our accommodation house in Viqueque. Within the community there is a kindergarten, that has 128 students enrolled, and consists of three teachers. One teacher is full time, one is on contract and the other is a volunteer. They only have one room to teach these 128 students. The area of that room is 6metres by 8 metres. The teachers have 64 students at one time in this space. They have two sessions a day. Natercia is the head teacher and she’s very passionate about her school. She founded this school with their own money and no support from the government.
On Thursday May 18’s Project Care Day, we want to raise money to buy bricks for Buikarin so that we can give Natercia and her students and another teaching space. Natercia has already used her own money to put a roof over a “patch of dirt”and we would love to brick in this area for her so, as she says, “the kids don’t run out onto the road when in class.”
The photo shows 64 students in the classroom. Note the students are on either side of the room because Natercia puts a small wall down the middle to separate the two groups. Imagine the noise coming from this small space with 64 students. It would be very hard to listen, very hard to teach and very hard to learn. The next photo you can see is the roof that her and her husband had paid for themselves to create another teaching space. This is the space we would like to brick in and concrete the floor.
Graham Barton
Qustodio Parent App New Feature
New Activity Timeline View
It is a pleasure to share with parents a newly added feature of the Qustodio Parent App, which all parents have access to as part of our Cyber Safe Schools Program and in partnership with Linewize by Family Zone.
Since our launch of this parent app in 2022, it has been wonderful to note the level of engagement by parents with this tool. I have enjoyed many interactions with a range of parents about how it is helping them support their young people in their digital journey at home.
One area where I have often received feedback from parents is that the information about their child’s digital activity on their school laptop is vague and not as detailed or useful as they would like, and not comparable to the activity reporting available for their child’s personal devices.
It is for this reason that I am delighted to share that parents can now access a new feature, Timeline, that provides more specific and detailed information about digital activity on the school device outside school times.
I encourage all parents to take a few moments and view this two minute video that provides an overview of the new feature and how it can be used to better support parents in guiding their young people at home.
Getting Started with the Qustodio Parent App
A reminder that parents can learn more about Qustodio, create and activate their parent account as part of our school program, and explore Frequently Asked Questions, via our school’s Online Safety Hub.
Brendan Vanderkley, Director of Digital Learning
Science Talent Search at CCG 2023
Students at Christian College Geelong in Years 5-10 are invited to participate in the 2023 Science Talent Search (STS).
The Science Talent Search has three broad aims:
- To stimulate an ongoing interest in the study of sciences by:
- encouraging independent self-motivated project work amongst students of science.
- giving students the opportunity to communicate their achievements to a wider audience.
- providing recognition of effort and achievement in a scientific enterprise.
- To promote the direct involvement of the students in the processes of science and its communication.
- To give the public at large an opportunity to see the quality of work being achieved in science, by both primary and post primary students.
The Science Talent Search has a wide range of sections students can choose to enter:
- Experimental Research
- Creative Writing
- Inventions**
- Working Models
- Posters – Scientific Wallcharts
- Games
- Computer Programs**
- Science Photography
- Video Productions
**These sections may require student attendance at a judging day at a Melbourne School over a weekend. Parents are responsible for their child attending a judging day.
A detailed handbook including guidelines and requirements of each section is attached. More ideas and information is available for students and parents at https://stav.org.au/science-talent-search/
Entry fees will be covered by the school.
The number of entries across the school is capped, so students are encouraged to submit registrations to their science teacher as early as possible. Registrations are made by filling in the student registration form and handing in to your science teacher.
Registrations close: Friday 19th May
Closing date for entries: Friday 14th July
Participating students will complete their entries individually or in a group of two in their own time. Support will be available from their science teacher and at optional lunchtime sessions.
For more information, please see your science teacher, or email Mrs Huddart, Director of Teaching and Learning – Science e.huddart@ccg.vic.edu.au Highton students are invited to attend S203 at lunchtime on Fridays where Ms Blackburn will be happy to answer any questions.
Elissa Huddart
Uniform Shop Clearance Sale!
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