Senior School Term 4 Week 2

From the Executive Principal

Last night we had our Annual Music Evening at Costa Hall. I was absolutely blown away by the standard of musicianship displayed by more than 500 of our performing students from as young as Prep all the way through to Year 12, and by the professionalism of the whole production. There were the heart-warmingly cute moments, watching our youngest students singing and dancing with abandon, but there were also the inspiring moments of watching such musical excellence that it was hard to believe these were all school students.

Of course, behind every confident performance, every polished ensemble, and every joyful moment on stage, was the quiet, consistent investment of time, energy, and care by our dedicated music staff team who give so much of themselves, through early mornings, late afternoons, rehearsals, lessons, planning, and encouragement, and it all culminated in a celebration that truly honoured the talent and spirit of our students. What stood out most to me was not just the standard of performance, but the pride and joy radiating from our students. That is the result of their guidance, their belief in our students, and the safe, nurturing spaces they create where students can grow, express themselves, and thrive. Our students are incredibly lucky to have such a passionate, talented and committed team of music staff who see their potential, challenge them to rise, and walk alongside them every step of the way. Thank you to our music staff for a truly magical night.

Marking the end of Classes for our Year 12 Students

Today marks the final day of classes for our Year 12 students. Throughout the week, they have enjoyed House breakfasts, last lessons in each of their subjects and today they are celebrating with the traditional signing of uniforms. We are very proud of our students and their growth over the past 12 months in Year 12, their three years at Senior School and for some, their entire journey from Williams House Kindergarten, spanning 13 or 14 years at Christian College Geelong.

I wonder how many parents of today’s Year 12 students still have a signed school dress or shirt stashed away in a wardrobe signed by the names of the students in their own graduating classes. These moments create and hold so many memories.

Monday is Celebration Day with a number of long-held Christian College Geelong traditions to be observed including climbing the clocktower at Middle School, a thanksgiving service and the symbolic parade down the driveway lined by Yr 10 and 11 students and parents. It is a day to honour their journey, and we look forward to marking the occasion with dignity, respect and deep gratitude for the community we share.

What’s Happening at Senior School?

Term 4 Week 2

Friday 17 October: VCAA Performance Exams at the RW Gibson Centre

Friday 17 October: Royal Geelong Show public holiday – no school

Term 4 Week 3

Monday 20 October: Year 12 Celebration Day

Monday 20 October: Sports Hall of Honour – Jakara Anthony OAM

Tuesday 21Ocober: Year 12 Study week begins

Tuesday 21 October: Year 11 Safe Partying session

Tuesday 21 October: Year 10 Ecology excursion

Wednesday 22 to Thursday 23 October: Year 11 Geography Phillip Island excursion

Wednesday 22 October: Indonesian short-term exchange information session

Thursday 23 October: Senior School Art Show at the Villa Paloma – 4pm

Saturday 25 October: Christian College Scholarship testing

Market Day – A Celebration of Enterprise and Community

On Wednesday, our Year 10 Running a Small Business students hosted another fantastic Market Day—and what a day it was. God blessed us with a wonderful stretch of sunshine, which was especially welcome given the abysmal weather we have endured over the past few weeks.

Throughout Term 3, students worked diligently to plan and prepare their stalls, and their efforts culminated in a vibrant and engaging event. From chocolate-covered fruit (a nod to healthy eating, of course!) to the popular deep-fried Mars bars, the variety of offerings was both creative and indulgent.

Despite some stiff competition from the House Basketball Final, most groups managed to turn a profit—an impressive feat that speaks to their planning, teamwork, and entrepreneurial spirit. The energy on campus was contagious, with students enthusiastically promoting their products and engaging with customers.

A big thank you goes out to all the staff who supported the students throughout the process and helped make the day run smoothly. The event was a wonderful example of experiential learning in action, and it was heartening to see so many students rise to the challenge with confidence and creativity.

We’re proud of our budding entrepreneurs and look forward to seeing how they continue to grow and apply their skills in future endeavours.

Unit 2 Psychology Artvo Excursion

On Friday 10 October, Unit 2 Psychology students attended an excursion to ArtVo in Melbourne. ArtVo offered our students the chance to experience a traditional art museum in a whole new way. Unlike conventional art museums, students were encouraged to touch and interact with the artworks in an original way through photographing themselves, becoming part of the art.

The artworks and question booklet students completed whilst at ArtVo encouraged student inquiry and stimulated their thinking around current concepts they are learning in class, including Depth cues and Gestalt principles. Students developed a deeper understanding of concepts relating to visual perception, which will assist them in their preparation for their next SAC, and allowed students to build their knowledge through a range of learning experiences, discussions and written tasks.

The day was enjoyed by all.

The Gordon Hospitality Expo

On Monday 13 October the careers team took a small group of students to the Geelong Hospitality and Tourism Expo at The Gordon. Students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from local businesses including the soon-to-be opening Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention Centre and Crowne Plaza on the Waterfront, Pholklore, Bellarine Estate and the new Quiddity Place on the Bellarine.

Students also enjoyed a cooking demonstration from celebrated Australian chef, restaurateur and television personality Adrian Richardson (pictured).  Richardson owns and operates acclaimed restaurants, including La Luna Bistro in Melbourne and the newly opened Maestro at the Holiday Inn Geelong.

Geelong and the surrounding regions are a hive of activity for hospitality and tourism which presents amazing opportunities for employment. The Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention Centre alone projects to employ up to 200 full time, part-time and casual staff in the lead up to their opening in July 2026. Explore opportunities here. The Crowne Plaza will adjoin the centre and open its doors in January, with approximately 70 positions to be filled. Positions can be found on Seek, the IHG website or by emailing humanresourcesgeelong@ihg.com for more information.

Art Show

We are very excited to exhibit student artworks in each of our Arts, Design and Technology subjects across the College.

Each campus will be running Art Shows early in Term 4, based on their own specific themes.

‘A Night under the Stars’ will be the theme at Villa Paloma, our senior Art Technology and Design(ATD) campus.

The exhibition will be showcasing Years 10 to 12 student folios for Art Making and Exhibiting, Media, Product Design – Textiles, Product Design – Materials, Systems Engineering and Visual Communication Design. Our Food Studies students will be serving some nibbles and light refreshments on the evening.

Our stunning 2025 House Wearable Arts costumes, inspired by the French Impressionists at the NGV, will also be modelled on the catwalk.

Come along between 4.00 and 6.00pm to celebrate the inspirational works of our ATD students.

Christian College Geelong Annual Music Evening 2025

An Evening of Musical Highlights!

The Christian College Geelong Annual Music Evening 2025 featured the College’s major campus ensembles, performing a selection of their repertoire from throughout the year to a capacity audience in Costa Hall on Wednesday night. The music department was excited to be able to combine ‘like’ bands, string orchestras and choirs to give students the thrill and joy of playing and singing in these significantly larger groups. To everyone who attended, thanks for your continued support of the music program, students & staff.

This concert was a unique opportunity to highlight music performance from Years Prep through to Year 12 in one program. The enthusiasm of Junior School students, through to the mature skills and musicianship displayed by our Senior School performers provided us with a snapshot of what students can achieve over many years of development, when immersed in an encouraging and supportive community. Each performance is also a testament to the many who are committed to doing great work in the Music Department; our students are blessed to be taught by highly skilled music educators who are committed to each young person on their educational journey.

The music program flourishes across the campuses, its participants are encouraged and supported by many. Thank you to the parents of our musicians, it is evident that our college families value the opportunities that come from an excellent music education for their students.

Spotlight on Wellbeing

Continuing to help your child thrive all the way to the end of term four!

Term 4 is upon us with summer on its way! Students will be counting down to finishing school, their first summer holidays and the end of another school year here at Christian College. This also may mean beginning a transition to another year level, campus or even graduating, which can bring a mixture of emotions.

Consistent routines provide safe structures and can help students function with independence. With Term 4 being filled with events and learning, consistent routines in the final weeks of the school year play a big part in helping them succeed at school.

Predictable routines reduce stress, improve focus, and help your child manage daily responsibilities with greater ease. This is just as important for our Preps who have nearly successfully finished their first year of school, all the way to our Year 12s who are about to embark on a new journey.

It is important to continue these daily habits

• Time management
• Better sleep and focus
• Reduced last-minute stress
• Healthier habits like reading, exercise and family connection

Navigating the Social Media Ban Online Parent Forum

Thank you to all parents and carers who attended our ‘Navigating the Social Media Age Restrictions’ online parent forum on Monday evening. Feedback shared by parents during the evening, including during our breakout room discussions, reinforced the relevance and timeliness of this event. Attending parents also valued the ability to share insights and hear from other parents, which they found validating and supportive.

With our parent forum concluded, we will now be exploring ways that we can raise student awareness of the upcoming changes throughout Term 4 and help prepare them for the conversations that you will likely be engaging in with them at home as we approach December 10.

For parents and carers who were unable to attend our own parent evening, we recommend registering for one of eSafety’s upcoming 30min parent webinars on ‘Social media age restrictions explained – a guide for parents and carers’.

You can find out more about these eSafety parent webinars here.

The 2025 Sport Hall of Honour Event

We are delighted to announce that our second Sport Hall of Honour event is on next month, where we will induct Olympic Gold Medallist and CCG alumnus, Jakara Anthony. Jakara is the third inductee into the Hall of Honour, joining 2023 inductees Gary Ablett Junior and Teagan Phillip.

Since graduating from Christian College in 2016. Jakara has gone on to become an Australian freestyle skier and Olympic gold medallist. Jakara was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for service to sport as a gold medallist in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Jakara is taking time out of her Olympic preparation training to come back to the College to receive this honour. In addition to celebrating Jakara’s journey, there will also be a number of current students who will receive awards including the following:

• Rising Eagle Award (students competing at a national level of their chosen sport).
• CCG Eagles Team of the Year
• Jakara Anthony Medal

Come along and hear about Jakara’s inspirational journey and what she plans to achieve next.

The date is October 20 and the evening runs from 6pm to 8pm at Rydges Geelong on the corner of Myers and Gheringhap Streets (enter via Myers St). If you’d like to join us, visit our webpage here, or access it via the hotlink on our homepage, for more information and to purchase tickets, which are priced at $35 per head. Light finger food will be provided and drinks can be purchased at the bar.

Come and join us for a very special event where we recognise the remarkable feats of one of our graduates, as well as current students who are also achieving great things in sport!

Geelong Summer Music Camp Jan 11 -16, 2026

A Day Camp for Music Students aged 10 – 21 years

Christian College Geelong is proud to once again be hosting the Geelong Summer Music Camp at the Senior Campus in January 2026. The GSMC committee are excited to have registrations now open for the January 2026 Camp.

If you have a budding band, choir or string musician in your house, or you are involved in a school or community music program, please encourage students aged 10 – 21 years to consider attending.

The camp highlights:
The GSMC is a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive day camp. Students will play in a concert band, string orchestra, or sing in a choir throughout the week and then feature in a finale concert at Costa Hall.

Campers will also have the opportunity to choose an elective activity. The camp builds social time into its program where students are encouraged to connect with others, developing positive friendships and relationships with other campers and staff. Auditions at the start of the camp are designed as a time for the students to connect with the music tutors, but also allow the tutors to place students into the ensemble that best suits them, to set them up to have a rewarding week of growth and fun making music.

Your Cookbook of Family Favourites – Calling for Recipes  

Dear Christian College Families,

Our names are Elisha Williams and Willow McInnes, and we are the Middle School-Highton campus Community Building and Outreach Prefects.

We are thrilled to share that we are introducing the Christian College Geelong cookbook, which will be an important fundraiser for the Christian College Foundation. All the proceeds from the cookbook will be donated to the Eternity Fund. By supporting this initiative you will be enabling, empowering, and changing the lives of young people from families who are experiencing hardship.

This will be a hardcover book which will include recipes from families and members of the Christian College Geelong community and will be titled, ‘Our Family Favourites’. If you have a special family recipe that you would like to share, we would love for you to contribute to the book. We encourage our community to contribute one favourite recipe.