Red Shield Appeal
Christian College Geelong’s support of the Salvation Army, by way of our students being invited to participate in the Red Shield Appeal doorknock, has long been an integral event on our College calendar. Unfortunately, like so many other things, our participation in this event has looked somewhat different from normal during these past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the current community health situation, we have made the decision not to invite students to doorknock this year. However, as you would appreciate, the needs of the disadvantaged across our community are as significant as ever. With this in mind, we do encourage any families who would like to, and feel that they can, support the South Barwon Salvos through donation via their ‘digital doorknock’. The South Barwon Salvos can be accessed via the link below. They have set a fundraising goal of $5,000, and at the time of writing, have raised $820.
https://digitaldoorknock.salvationarmy.org.au/t/south-barwon-salvos.
I look forward to being able to invite students, staff and families to participate in a traditional door knock, in 2023.
Rick Geall, Head of Senior School Campus
Japanese and Indonesian Cultural Days
Year 10-12 Japanese and Indonesian students were treated to cultural immersion days at the Senior campus this week. While our students have not been lucky enough to visit Japan and Indonesia during the past few years, the countries were brought to them through fun and hands-on cultural workshops. Students participated in a range of sessions, including Taiko drumming, calligraphy and origami, Indonesian traditional dance, gamelan and batik and Japanese and Indonesian cooking. Japanese and Indonesian students alike loved the opportunity to practise their conversation and immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Japan and Indonesia. The Languages department is very grateful to the support offered from the local Japanese & Indonesian communities in Geelong and look forward to making these special days a regular part of the school calendar.
Yuji Nakayama
Jess Bijaksono
Senior Campus Instrumental Music Performance Nights
Congratulations to the 46 students from Years 10 – 12 who performed solos and small ensemble items for family and friends this week during the Senior Campus Instrumental Music Performance Nights. The students presented a huge range of music with instrumental pieces from baroque harpsichord to shredding electric guitars, and beautiful vocals covering many genres. It was a celebration to finally hold our first campus instrumental nights in the auditorium of the RW Gibson Music Performance Centre! The families who attended were treated to a beautiful presentation and marvelled at the outstanding musical skills of our wonderful musicians. Congratulations to the students and music faculty who have been working with these flourishing musicians.
Fiona Gardner
An Invitation to House Music Next Thursday
The Senior Campus will present the 2022 House Music Festival Concert next Thursday at the Highton Middle School SAC. This event is a spectacular on the Senior Campus event calendar – parents are most welcome to join us from 1.00 – 3.30 pm to enjoy and celebrate each house’s presentation. The items presented are student led, the students have chosen their music, running their rehearsals, will conduct their choirs and compere their presentations.
Each house will present a full house choir, large and small ensembles and two soloists. This event has been in hiatus for 3 years, for the entire Senior School community the 2022 house music day will be a first! The accompanying photos are snapshots of the 2019 House Music Festival Concert.
Congratulations to the 2022 music student leaders and supporting prefects for their work so far!! The music department is abuzz with energy … a hive of activity and anticipation!
Fiona Gardner
Year 11 English – ‘The Crucible’ Performance and Workshop
This term, Year 11 English students have been studying Arthur Miller’s play, ‘The Crucible’. Students have been exploring themes, characters and events from the play and how they have been influenced by views and values of the time period.
Last week, we were privileged to host a theatre troupe who performed some of the key scenes from the play. It was an interactive performance where the players workshopped multiple ways that scenes could be directed. These scenes provided students with fresh insight into characters’ emotions and behaviours, giving them an opportunity to interpret key events.
The performers engaged students in the process by asking questions that encouraged them to consider intricacies of the play on a deeper level. Some of our students commented on the experience:
“The way the performers depicted Miller’s work provided a new perspective that showed different sides of the characters.” Isaac Boseley
“It was very insightful to see a performance that captured the original intent of the piece that was passionate, heartfelt but showed the elements of torment that these characters experienced.” Angelica Lawrence
“It was lovely to see a live performance again. Seeing the play come to life made it more real and interesting.” Trinity Cronkwright
Overall, watching this performance and participating in the workshop was an enriching experience for our students that will effectively assist them in their preparation for a critical analysis of the play.
We look forward to more opportunities like this in the future as bringing texts to life enhances their learning.
Allison Schleutker
The Year 12 VCAL City Experience Camp
Last week the Year 12 VCAL class participated in the annual City Experience trip to Melbourne. City CYC (our accommodation) on Collins St was the central point for the many activities, both educational and self-guided, the latter including an Amazing Race across the city. Each member got a list of landmarks to visit, points were allocated when evidence of each location visited was recorded, usually in the form of a selfie. The class also enjoyed a trip to the State Library, Melbourne Museum, the TAC Road to Zero: Road Safety Experience, the RPV Metro Tunnel HQ visitor centre, and the Immigration Museum-Becoming You Exhibition.
The Melbourne Museum showcased an exhibition of First Peoples’ history and culture, which included stories from Elders from across the country and cultural artefacts. Next door was a prehistoric exhibition of fossils and skeletons of ancient dinosaurs. The Road to Zero experience offered Virtual Reality experience of speeds and forces exerted on the human body during vehicle collisions, and the distance it takes to stop at different speeds and conditions.
The Metro Tunnel HQ discussed with the group the current progress of the build of the tunnel in the Melbourne CBD and gave us an insight to how much earth will be moved during the process. (FYI, it’s 1.8 million metres cubed).
Students were able to treat themselves to restaurant dinners of choice on both nights. They were also given time throughout the camp to explore the city, visiting shops and eateries. This was a great experience and all the students who attended gained valuable insights into navigating Melbourne and its wonderful attractions.
Fraser Simpkin
Mindful Mondays
Another week, another calming Monday in the library. This week we were thrilled to have Mr. Drew Oliver – Director of Physical Education, teach and demonstrate to students the benefits of ‘Calm Breath Exercise’. The Calming Breath Exercise was adapted from the ancient discipline of yoga. It is a very efficient technique for achieving a deep state of relaxation quickly. Gaining control over your breathing involves both slowing your rate of breathing and changing your breathing style. Once achieved, these breathing exercises can be potent technique for halting the momentum of a panic reaction when the first signs of anxiety come on.
Use the calming technique by following these steps and you’ll be on your way to developing a better breathing habit that help control your mind, body and soul.
- Ensure that you are sitting on a comfortable chair or laying in a comfortable spot.
- Take a breath in for 4 seconds (through the nose if possible).
- Hold the breath for 2 seconds
- Release the breath taking 6 seconds (through the nose if possible), then pause slightly before breathing in again.
- Practise, practise, practise!
Labrini Soldatos
GISSA Athletics
Our CCG Eagles Athletics Team outperformed all but one school to clinch second place in this year’s Geelong Independent Schools Sport Association (GISSA) Athletics Championships recently.
Despite some of our College’s best athletes being unavailable due to illness and injury, we managed to rally to still produce a valiant performance in one of the three marquee events on the GISSA calendar – finishing runner-up behind Kardinia International College in wet, tricky conditions at John Landy Athletics Field.
Our Eagles finished second in all four age levels that are awarded shields – ‘Junior Female’ and ‘Junior Male’ Sections, which featured mostly students from Year 7 to Year 9, as well as the ‘Senior Female’ and ‘Senior Male’ sections, which featured mostly students Year 10 to Year 12.
Our College was particularly close in the senior sections where we finished just 9 points behind Kardinia in the Senior Male Section and only 25 points behind Kardinia in the Senior Female Section.
The overall results were as follows: Kardinia (1st), CCG Eagles (2nd), Saint Ignatius (3rd), Geelong Lutheran College (4th), Covenant College (5th), Iona College (6th), Clonard College (7th) and Geelong Baptist College (8th).
Our College Sport Faculty would like to thank each member of our track and field team for their efforts at these championships, especially those students who stepped up to compete in events after another student had to withdraw because of illness or injury. Some notable performances on the day included Jasmin King (Yr8) winning all five of her events; Jacob McKie (Yr11) setting a new GISSA record for the 1500m open boys; Nyah Brown, Luka Mathe, Bianca Pocklington and Jorja Kirsopp-Cole (all Yr12) winning their 4x100m relay for the 6th straight year. Couple this with the open boys 4x100m relay winning team of Harry Leigh, Ethan Grills, Oscar Murdoch and Aaron Hanson it was a great way to finish the track program for the college.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of our Year 12 students, not only for their performances this year, but the outstanding commitment they have showed to our College Athletics Program for their entire journey at Christian College.
While it would have been fitting to cap off their time in our program with another medal at the GISSA Athletics, this group of students will leave a legacy for their peers to follow that will last far longer than any individual or team triumph they might have achieved in any one year.
The high standards they have displayed – not only in their athletic performances on the track but the way they have upheld our college values off the track – will stand as a shining example for our next cohorts.
Our Sport Faculty would like to sincerely thank the following students for all they have done for our CCG Eagles Athletics Program during their journey through the college: Captains Nyah Brown and Ethan Grills, Luka Mathe, Bianca Pocklington, Bethany Dean, Jorja Kirsopp-Cole, Oscar Murdoch, Tom Beckworth, Elliot MacDonald, Harry Leigh, Oliver Connan, Joshua Ward and Henry Gerdtz.
Andrew Richardson
eSafety Parent and Carer Webinars
Parents and carers of our students have access to a range of eSafety webinars made available by the eSafety Commissioner throughout the year. eSafety's free webinars provide parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and tools to support children to have safe, positive online experiences.
The webinar focus by eSafety for May is on parental controls. This webinar promises to provide valuable information and support to parents. Christian College parents are also encouraged to read the article ‘Should I be using a parental control?’ available on our Online Safety Hub.
I encourage all parents and carers in our community to explore these webinar offerings by eSafety and register for events that are relevant to you. The link is below:
Brendan Vanderkley
Golf Tournament
The Foundation Golf Tournament is set for Thursday, 27 October 2022. Join us at 13th Beach Golf Links from 8:00am for a shotgun start. Tickets are $190 each ($150 for members) or $750 for a group of four. RSVPs close on Thursday, 6 October 2022 at 5:00pm.
Funds raised from this event will be allocated to our Foundation Scholarship Fund, supporting current students who are in need of financial assistance.
Book online at: The Foundation Golf Tournament
A MYTERN Thought for This Week
If you are on a rough road, use the discomfort as your power to take control. See it providing fuel for your journey....expanding your map....adding to who you are....shaping who you are becoming 😊
Discover more about MYTERN here
