With further chilly weather expected in the final two weeks of term, students will no doubt be also wanting to add an extra layer or two to keep warm. They should, however, be mindful that non-uniform items must either be hidden from view or not worn at all. A short or long-sleeved t-shirt or thermal under their school shirt, plus tie, school jumper, College blazer and navy scarf should provide adequate warmth. Students wearing a new wardrobe short-sleeved shirt are not required to wear a tie but should be reminded that t-shirts or similar should not be visible underneath. Scarves have been popular this term, and rightly so, however these should only be the College scarf. Students wearing non-compliant scarves will be asked to remove them. A Christian College beanie will be available from the C.C.G. Uniform Shop soon.  Until then plain navy beanies (no branding) are permitted when outdoors, but not in classrooms. 

This week gave us one of the most feel-good moments of the year, in fact, of the past three years. After cancellation in both 2020 and 2021, we were overjoyed to be able to finally hold our House Music Competition, and what an event it was! It has traditionally been a calendar highlight, and this year it felt like it went up a notch. Each of the four Houses entered a solo vocalist, solo instrumentalist, small ensemble, large ensemble and an all-inclusive choir made up of the entire House. The performances themselves were all incredible, but what was most pleasing was the attentiveness, participation, enthusiasm and encouragement from the student audience. I am so thankful to the Music Department, led by Fiona Gardner and Andrew Dunlop, as well as the Heads and Assistant Heads of House for putting together a wonderful day that will be remembered for months, if not years, to come. And most importantly, I want to thank every student that participated. You looked amazing up there on the risers in your College uniform. You performed brilliantly. You did yourselves proud, your House proud and your campus proud. Thursday’s House Music Competition, and the weeks of preparation leading up to it, were a fine example of all that is good about the community that is Christian College Senior School. 

This year, Year 10 students Anastasia Keller and Martin Dean represented our college in this event, competing alongside Year 10 – 12 students from Sacred Heart College, Geelong Grammar School, Oberon High School and Western Heights College. Anastasia’s prepared speech discussed the important role the foster care system plays in our society and examined the challenges this system faces. In his prepared speech, Martin explored the complexity of political correctness and its place within a progressive and democratic society. Both Anastasia and Martin’s prepared speeches intelligently and thoughtfully engaged with their subject matter and were delivered with passion and sincerity. Similarly, both Anastasia and Martin presented impromptu speeches on the unseen prompt “you get what you give.” Although speaking on the spot is daunting, both Anastasia and Martin demonstrated the ability to adapt, think and communicate fluently under pressure.  

Anastasia and Martin were great ambassadors for our college and enjoyed the experience of mingling with like-minded students and hearing others speak about a range of interesting and important topics.  Here are some reflections on their experience: 

“The competition was incredible. It was amazing to see so many intelligent young people with big ideas about the world. It was also really great to be able to share my perspective about foster care in the speech, and then, afterwards, when I talked to the others. Overall, it was an awesome experience and I’m very glad to have done it.” Anastasia Keller 

“I think the highlight of the day wasn’t in the presenting, it was having the opportunity to listen to everyone else. I loved experiencing the talents and interests of like-minded individuals, and the way they all approached their topics really helped me get an idea for how to write speeches in the future. I’ve found it’s not about merely discussing a good topic; it’s also about bringing forward a new idea or perspective on a topic that others may not have considered.” Martin Dean 

It was a sincere pleasure coaching Anastasia and Martin, and they are to be warmly congratulated for their excellent performance in this competition, and, equally, for their wonderful sense of positivity, commitment and camaraderie. Students interested in public speaking opportunities in 2023 should strongly consider participating in the Plain Speaking Competition. 

In our study of the Vietnam War in Week 4, students learnt about the conflict, and, in doing so, also learnt about the importance of fostering empathy – both as enthused scholars and as concerned global citizens. Students were able to understand the implications of this conflict from a variety of perspectives and were also able to intelligently grapple with the enduring historical debate surrounding the ‘myth of the scorned veteran.’  

Below are two pieces of flash fiction generated during this module of study that conveyed genuine empathy and sensitivity for the challenges and suffering experienced by those who participate in war, from the perspective of combatants and prisoners – both Allied and Vietnamese. The first response is an extract from a highly evocative diary entry written by Molly Daly. It is inspired by image one and articulates the disillusionment and anguish suffered by many who experience war first-hand. Conversely, the second response, written by Annie Jurukovski, is an extremely engaging short story that articulates the horror and destruction of war, taking its cue from image two. Both artworks seen in the images below belong to the Australian War Memorial.

…The act of war. For what purpose? To achieve what goal? Victory? Being able to stamp down your foot, look down your nose at those who cower before you, and have your chest swell with the grim satisfaction that you have killed their brothers, their sons, their fathers. That you have spread more blood than you care to bleed yourself. That you have won. War has one end result. Whether it is a war of words, or of guns. A war of screams, or of blood. War incites pain. From pain, comes fear. The fear for others, for yourself. The fear of not being able to withstand the pain. Of the time when your body, try as it might, cannot withstand the continuous assault that blinds every nerve, and scars your being deeper than a knife pierces skin. The fear of death. There has never been war without death. It has become a shadow of the looming conflict. A promise, that no matter how hard a soldier fights, how loudly they scream, how long their body bottles the pain, their eyes will flood with tears, and their heart will swell with fear. And they will know that they will die… 

The room was quiet.  

Too quiet.  

It should never be this quiet.  

Not now.  

Where had they gone? The gentle rustling of clothes and heavy breathing had all but disappeared, and I could not see. The blindfold securely wrapped around my head, for my own safety, they had told me. All that was left to hear was the quiet dripping of water from the ceiling, or maybe it was blood. Thick, dark, red blood. I had seen a lot of blood. My fallen brothers and sisters shed it a million times over as these foreigners invaded our lands.  

I reached out, the fabric of my clothes scraping together, creating a faint whisper of sound. My hand touched the wall, I felt the paint peeling beneath my fingertips, the cold harshness of the wall surrounding us. If there even was an us anymore. The silence was deafening, oppressive, like my captors. 

Suddenly I was dragged across the dirt floor, the blindfold was ripped from my head in one clean stroke. The light flooded into my vision, and I saw the sun for what felt like the first time. And as the light touched my skin and the wind caressed my face, all my weary eyes could see was the destruction encompassing me. Rubble and ruin surrounded me as I fell to my knees and wept. 

Gone.  

It was all gone. 

“Both my mum and I nearly died when I was born. Prior to this my mum and dad had tried for a baby multiple times, but the universe had other plans. But luckily, we are both still here.” 
 
“My Nonna’s most memorable moment was how she met her husband, and in her own words the rest is history.” 

“When mum was 26 and living In Manchester she was in a bombing by the IRA (Irish Republican Army) …”   
 
A student’s Mum “was on the street when armed men ran across rooftops to the Iranian embassy in London where they took 25 people hostages.” 

A student’s Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and here she “stands today, nearly 10 years on from that day, living a healthy and proud life. My Mum defied the odds, my Mum said that she could survive, and now my Mum is here today. “ 

A grandfather (and grandmother) “lived in Thailand during the Vietnam war. Their home was 40 minutes’ drive from the Takhli air base in Chainat province. It was one of two important US bases. At sunset or sunrise the planes would come and go. But when a plane did a 360’ loop he knew that another pilot had completed 50 bombing missions and could return to the USA. It was their way of celebrating.” 
 
A student whose family migrated to Australia: “I was only 2 when I came to Australia, so I am very lucky I got the education I needed as a young child to fit into Australia’s society. I think my parents and I know that we would not move anywhere else in the world, because Australia is a great country filled with opportunities and freedom.” 
 
A grandfather spoke about the Vietnam War: “Sadly when the soldiers returned from the War they weren’t treated like heroes or respected by the Australian public and the RSL, even though they were brave and followed orders to fight when they didn’t have a choice.”  

A grandmother recalled emigrating from England: “It took weeks to get there, and I was sick most of the journey. After we arrived in Australia my family settled in Torquay and my little sister Carol was born.” 
 
A grandfather (retired from the police force) who is normally “a pretty tough guy who doesn’t show emotions was so excited to talk about his achievements. He got into a very inspirational mood and went on talking about following your passions and helping others. I asked him if he would recommend joining the police force and he said that any job, even just everyday life, is dangerous if you don’t use common sense and if you don’t look after your number one (yourself). He said if you’re always making sure that you, being number one, come first that you can do anything you work hard for.” 

However, it can be difficult for parents to be across every platform or app and to know what’s age-appropriate and what’s not. Where a young person sets up an account on their own without parent involvement, it can make it difficult for parents to ensure safety and be confident that the content being sent and received is suitable and safe. 

For all the potential value and benefit these tools provide, they also often pose the risk of cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content or unwanted contact from strangers. It is an unfortunate but true reality that there are some people online who seek to connect with young people for the wrong reasons. 

Discord, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook… Are they right for my child? Should I allow this app’s use? What are the safety and privacy features? How can I support my child in using this app? 

Parents, be reassured that there is support and guidance for navigating the full range of apps and platforms that are popular with young people on both our own Online Safety Hub and from eSafety. 

• Messaging and online chat (from eSafety 
• Discord – parent advice (CCG Online Safety Hub) 
• Snapchat – parent advice (CCG Online Safety Hub) 

• Tik Tok – parent advice (CCG Online Sagety Hub)

Parents are encouraged to be aware of the minimum age for any platform and understand that many of these platforms are intended for adults and older teens. For many apps, the age recommended by cyber safety experts is older than the listed minimum age because of the potential risks. 

At school, we prevent access to messaging and chat apps on our network. Access to messaging and chat is also prevented on College devices during school days for all students to support them with their learning and wellbeing. 

Undertaking a career as a new teacher can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. The excitement of working in a dynamic and hugely rewarding profession is often complicated by administrative demands, professional development responsibilities, and the intricacies of a classroom. Further to this, a graduate teacher is developing their craft, building relationships with colleagues and families for the first time, learning new processes, the Australian curriculum, navigating the 37 professional teacher standards and undertaking a teacher inquiry for registration as a proficient teacher. Victorian Institute of Education’s Linda Blakis likens learning to teach with learning to drive, ‘When you get behind the wheel for the first time, it is daunting. Everything is new, you must consciously check everything before turning on the engine and there is so much multitasking required, but with practice, good coaching and time, these things become intuitive.’ 

At Christian College we are privileged to have a selection of graduate teachers on each campus, each are supported fortnightly by an experienced mentor teacher. Our mentors are intensively trained to assist these graduates through one of the most critical phases of their teaching career.  

 To complement this ongoing mentoring, we were fortunate to have the expertise of Jackie Macreadie – Principal Consultant from ISV and Linda Blakis – Professional Practice Manager from VIT run a full day seminar for all graduates and mentors this week. This is a new initiative, one that few other schools offer, and we were immensely grateful for the time and expertise of our guest speakers. There was much engagement in the sessions, with collaboration and a buzz of ideas for their inquiry projects. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive for the value of this day for all who attended. We hope that it can become an ongoing opportunity for our staff development. A huge thank you to our leadership for supporting such a pivotal opportunity for our staff.  

The triangular AFL series involved our CC Eagles Team playing two full-length, stand-along games on different dates against Kardinia International College and another against St Ignatius College. 

The first test came against Kardinia at Queens Park. 

Despite some wayward goal-kicking, our Eagles were generally dominant in general play and broke free in the second half to register a comfortable win. 

Year 12 student Ethan Grills was named our Team’s MVP for that game, using his running power and strength at ground level and in the air to amass a stack of possessions in the midfield. 

After St Ignatius defeated Kardinia in their first-round match, the stage was set for what was essentially a ‘grand final’ between our Eagles and the boys in red, white and blue. 

The showdown did not disappoint, with our College grinding out a two-point triumph in what was a classic game of schoolboy football. 

Year 11 student Harley Anderson was named our Team MVP for the second outing – an amazing effort for a ‘bottom-age’ student in a game where there was plenty of older talent on display. 

But truly this was the quintessential ‘team effort’ from our boys, with the even contribution across the whole magnet board proving to be the deciding factor in the game. 

Speaking of the magnet board, our Sport Faculty wishes to say a massive thank you and congratulations to Senior School Campus Staff Members Mr David Harmer and Mr Andrew Tucker, who have taken extra time during a busy start to 2022 to Coach our Senior AFL Male Team. 

Their leadership and commitment, coupled with that of a group of Year 12 students who have assisted the coaching staff during the preparation phase, was undoubtedly a driving force behind this milestone achievement. 

Speaking of milestone achievements, that is also a perfect way to describe what happened at the Geelong Sports Hub on Tuesday. 

Our Senior Female Netball Team clinched the GISSA crown for the first time in many years - also knocking of perennial contender St. Ignatius in the Grand Final - in what was another giant step forward for our Sport Faculty. 

After losing to St. Ignatius in the qualifying rounds, our CCG Eagles went into the decider as the underdogs, and the task appeared even more challenging when we fell behind half way through the second half. 

However our girls showed enormous heart, rallying in the final three minutes to pull out the victory, punctuated by gritty defensive efforts that turned potential opposition scores into two-goal turn-arounds. 

It was a thrilling contest for those lucky enough to watch it, with the difference between the two teams just a couple of nets. 

Our Sport Faculty would like to congratulate every member of this squad - especially a pair of Burrows Bears, Year 12 Ava Bourke and Year 10 Isabelle McKinnis, who were drafted into the Team at late notice after two of their team-mates became unavailable. 

The medal for Team MVP went to Year 12 Penman Panther Kiera Green for her consistently high level of play throughout the whole tournament. 

Although, given our girls had to play multiple games over the course of this one-day, round-robin competition, this stunning achievement could not have occurred without all girls stepping up at different times. 

That was the feedback provided by the Team’s Head Coach, Ms Olivia Cameron, who herself deserves a ton of credit for leading yet another CCG Eagles Sport Team on a successful mission. 

Ms Cameron works tirelessly to provide our students with the best coaching possible, and it is no coincidence how often the teams she leads end up coming home with silverware. 

A huge thank should also go to our Team Manager, Mrs Flora Murdoch, whose expertise and behind-the-scenes work in the build-up ensured this group was primed.  

As exciting as it was to see our current Senior teams overcoming the other independent schools in the region, there are also bright signs for the future in both the AFL and Netball Programs. 

Our Inter Male AFL Team fell just one game short of matching the accomplishment of their Senior counterparts, advancing to the Grand Final of the GISSA Championships held at St Joseph’s Football and Netball Club. 

Our Eagles won both their qualifying games comfortably, and then ran St Ignatius all the way in the final before ultimately coming up short to cap off an otherwise encouraging display in the single-day titles. 

Our Inter Female Netball Team also had a successful campaign at the GISSA Titles, winning three games and finishing fourth out of 13 teams at the single-day, round-robin Championships held at Geelong Sports Hub. 

The action is far from over for both our CCG Eagles AFL and Netball Programs. 

Next week it’s time for Female AFL, with our Junior and Inter girls gearing themselves for the GISSA Championships, while our netballers have the Netball Victoria Schools Championships to look forward to in Term 3. 

Our Senior Male AFL Team, meanwhile, doesn’t have much time to bask in the glow of their GISSA Titles victory, as their next challenge will come next term when they take on the winner of the Australian Catholic Colleges competition in late July.