Surf Coast Term 1 Week 3

From the Campus Leader

Growing our Community

This past week marked a significant period of activity within our Surf Coast Community. On Tuesday, we hosted a warm reception for our Prep families, providing them an opportunity to socialise and engage in an informative session regarding the educational approach to literacy and numeracy for our little preppies. A huge thank you to our dedicated Prep teachers, Caitlin Maher and Nereda Welsh, as well as to our Learning Leader, Ann Daley, for their invaluable contributions to the presentation.

Furthermore, on Thursday we facilitated a parent helper training session for those interested in contributing to our campus community. There are always opportunities for our families to assist and take part in activities on our campus. Once the training session is completed you are invited to do so.

Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate the forthcoming opportunities to gather as a community. Specifically, our Family Picnic scheduled for Thursday, February 22, promises to be a delightful occasion for all families to come together. Following this, our Working Bee on Saturday, March 2 is an opportunity for our community to come together to enhance our shared environment.

Surf Coast Campus Leaders Induction

Our Year 4 students have stepped into leadership roles with enthusiasm and dedication. 

During a heartwarming ceremony these young leaders were officially inducted into their roles this morning, marking the beginning of a journey filled with responsibility, service, and growth. 

As student leaders, they will be entrusted with various responsibilities within the school community, including leading by example, assisting teachers and fellow students, and contributing positively to the school ethos. We have full confidence in their ability to inspire others and to make a positive impact on their peers. 

We encourage you to support our Year 4 student leaders as they embrace this new chapter in their educational journey. Together, we can foster an environment where leadership, empathy and integrity thrive.  

From the Chaplain

Shrove Tuesday and a Special Easter Artwork

Hi everyone, and welcome to Week 3 of 2024! I hope you have all had an excellent first few weeks, I know our staff have loved having all the returning students back and all the new students with us. This Tuesday (Feb. 13), we celebrated Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent begins, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, focus, and self-examination in the lead up to Easter.

To ‘shrive’ or ‘to be shrove’, is to “present oneself for examination”, to look at who we are in an honest and vulnerable way. We don’t reflect on what we have been in the past, or who we would like to be, but we undertake a reality check. We confess the good within us, and the things that need work, and through this honesty and reflection, we prepare ourselves to understand and appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made at Easter. Shrove Tuesday is the gathering and stocktake of everything that we are and want to take on into the future, and the letting go of that which is unhelpful that we want to leave aside.

What’s Happening at Surf Coast?

This an up to date list of planned activities at Surf Coast Campus that you can use for planning purposes.  Please be aware that these dates are set early in the term and occasionally items may need to be cancelled or dates/times altered.  This itinerary is altered each week to reflect any changes – please check this list of events EVERY WEEK carefully when you read the weekly VINE newsletter.

TERM 1 2024

Week 3

Monday 12 February             Discovery and Learning Program – Preps- Cosy Corner 
Please refer to EdSmart

Tuesday 13 February              Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day – All Students – More information to follow

Wednesday 14 February        No Preps at school

Thursday 15 February            Parent Helper Session – Multipurpose Room – 2.45pm – 3.30pm

Thursday 15 February            Discovery and Learning Program – Year 2– Cosy Corner – Please refer to EdSmart

Friday 16 February                 Geelong Advertiser – Prep Photos -Annual First Day of Prep Edition Photo – Please refer to EdSmart

Friday 16 February                 Assembly – Leaders Induction – 9am Multipurpose – All Students and Families welcome

Preppies’ First Discovery Learning Session

Donning their sun hats and slathered in sunscreen, the Surf Coast Preppies embarked on their first Beach Prep session at Cosy Corner. The weather was nothing short of glorious, and it became a day etched with joyful memories.

The Preps loved constructing intricate sandcastles, gathering shells and seaweed, and unearthing hidden water pockets as they dug deep into the soft sand. They also thoroughly enjoyed dipping their toes into the water to cool off.

As the bus journeyed back, the air buzzed with excitement as the Preppies animatedly recounted the delightful afternoon they had all thoroughly enjoyed.

Lent – and Exciting Maths Adventures!

In an exciting week filled with discovery and learning, Year 1 students enthusiastically embraced the spirit of Lent. Engaging in meaningful discussions, the young learners delved into the significance of Lent and marked the beginning of this special period with joyous activities on Shrove Tuesday.

One highlight of the week was the delightful pancake extravaganza, where the kids not only relished the experience of tasting but also showcased their creativity by designing and decorating pancakes. The smiles and laughter echoed the festive spirit that filled the classroom.

Shifting gears to academics, the students explored the fascinating world of numbers, unravelling the mysteries of place value. Armed with their hands-on approach using MAB, they dived into creating, adding, and subtracting various two-digit numbers in maths. This interactive learning experience laid the foundation for a year full of more complex and enjoyable maths concepts awaiting exploration.

As we bid adieu to this exciting week, Year 1 eagerly anticipates the many more adventures and discoveries that the rest of the academic year holds. Stay tuned for more updates on the incredible journey of our young learners.

It’s Been a Busy Week 3 in Year 2

This week the Year 2 students have has an amazing week of learning. They celebrated Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and discussed insightfully this week’s memory verse ‘God is with me always’ Matthew 28:20.  It has been a real joy watching this kind, caring and hardworking cohort not only mingling and enjoying the new facilities, but also taking a great sense of care and respect for their brand-new learning environments.

Discovery and Learning Program: the Year 2 trip to Cosy Corner

The interdisciplinary curriculum requires interconnections of First Nations Australians to a local Country or place. We have been loving working on this curriculum area through our continued learning about William Buckley and this was the central topic for our discovery excursion to Cosy Corner on Thursday February 14. Students smiled with excitement as they explored the natural environment that William Buckley once explored. They also investigated the many natural resources that William Buckley might have eaten or used as part of his survival before coming in contact with the Wathawurrung tribe.   

Democracy and Majority Rule

The Year 3 students are back into the swing of things, exploring new concepts, learning and practising new skills, and getting to know new teachers and classmates. Civics and Citizenship is a new Interdisciplinary Learning unit for our Year 3s, and they have been discussing the concept of ‘democracy’ and ‘majority rule’, as well as considering the need for rules in many different environments including schools, homes, and public places.

Our Ancient Greece unit has introduced our students to the concept of an early democratic society where some citizens had the right to vote on issues which affected their way of life. The Year 3 students have been surprised about the significant differences between males and females in the rights, roles and responsibilities of the Ancient Greeks and we have enjoyed many interesting discussions.

Collaborating to create a classroom list of rules has been a real-life exercise in democracy and majority rule, and has set the groundwork for considering the pros and cons of different opinions in preparation for our upcoming persuasive writing tasks. It’s been a busy two and a half weeks with plenty more on the agenda this term. Stay tuned!

6T Investigations

The year has kicked off with great enthusiasm in 6T as we welcomed three fantastic new students (and one teacher) to our class. Together, we’ve dived headfirst into understanding ‘the making of our nation’, Australia. Our focus has been on exploring the factors that led to the federation, as well as the implications this had on various groups of people.

Currently, our students are investigating life in the early 1900s compared to the present day. They are demonstrating their understanding by writing diary entries from the perspective of young people of that time.

Our Year 6 students are thoroughly enjoying the array of specialist subjects available to them. One standout is our brand-new subject, “Designing New Futures”. They are beyond excited to be designing toys for our new Prep students and eagerly look forward to their session on a Monday.

I’m incredibly proud of this group of students and cannot wait to see what the rest of the term has in store.

Let’s Create!

Dear Parents,

The Art room would really appreciate if you could collect the following items for us to use in classes. They need to be clean please.

• old towels to be used for cleaning
• magazines (with appropriate content)
• carboard tubes
• 1kg yoghurt containers
• margarine
• bottle caps/lids
• sponges
• egg cartons
• tin cans
• wool
• string
• corks
• cereal boxes (not smaller boxes)
• buttons
• cutlery (no knives)

If you have any other items you think may be suitable please check with Mr. T. before sending them into school as we have limited storage space.

Japanese Student of the Week

In Term 1, Year 4 students are learning about classroom instructions. They sing the “Classroom” song and practise writing Hiragana characters. Rory Pulis has made so much effort to write Hiragana words neatly and clearly. Well done Rory for being the student of the week in Japanese!

Facilitating a Child Safe Culture

Christian College is committed to providing an environment in which our students are safe, happy and empowered. The College regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance, ensuring compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations to embed and facilitate a child safe culture.

Just like physical environments, online environments need to be considered when implementing the child safe standards and assessing the risks of child abuse or harm. Whilst the eSafety Commissioner has information about popular and emerging online technologies and ways to manage online risks, I wanted to take this opportunity to notify you of two upcoming events that may be of interest to you:

• Tuesday 20 February - BATForce is partnering with Geelong Regional Libraries and Geelong Connected Communities to deliver a community-based Digital Tattoo workshop, a family approach to supporting young people online. This session aims to explore how families/communities can create safe and supportive environments for their young people to explore technology, build healthy relationships and increase protective factors as they grow. Places are limited, so please attached flyer for more information and to register.
• Wednesday 20 March - Christian College Geelong will be hosting a Digital Wellbeing and Cybersafety parent forum. Our aim is to provide parents/guardians the opportunity to discuss openly any concerns, to ask questions and seek support. We will also provide information on the school’s commitment to digital wellbeing and cybersafety as well as providing resources to support you in this journey. More information on this evening and how to register is coming soon!

ENVISAGE – a Helpful Support Service

We would like to bring to the attention of all parents/guardians and families a program that exists as a possible support for families in the Geelong region called ENVISAGE.

ENVISAGE is a program co-created by Australian and Canadian researchers, clinicians, and parents of children with developmental concerns and disabilities. Their mission is to “empower caregivers to feel confident and competent to navigate the experience of parenting a child or children with developmental concerns by embracing contemporary strengths-based ideas about health, wellbeing, and development”.

We have included this link to the ENVISAGE website should you wish to discover further information as to whether this service could be of benefit to your child and your family.

Prepared for Digital Learning in 2024

Over these first weeks of Term 1, it has been a pleasure to work alongside our IT team and support teachers and students in rolling out new student devices with Year 10s, Year 7s and Year 4s across the College.

As we have supported students in the signing in and setup of their device, alongside guidance in its care, maintenance and use as a learning tool, I’ve enjoyed some wonderful conversations with students about smart, safe and responsible uses of technology.

This week, parents and students across the College have been asked to accept their annual digital learning and device agreements, which is a requirement for students’ continued access to the device program, College network and internet and digital technologies at school.

This is a great opportunity and prompt for conversations with your child at home about safe, ethical, and respectful uses of technology more generally. While these agreements focus especially on a school and learning context, many of the expectations, and the guidance contained in the documentation, is equally relevant to contexts outside of school and represents positive digital engagement and good digital citizenship.

The partnership between school and home – teachers and parents – in supporting our young people in developing strong, positive habits and attitudes towards technology is promoted in the Digital Learning and 1:1 Device Program Parent Information Events that we provide at this time each year on our Junior School campuses. It was pleasing to see the positive turnout from parents at the Junior School-Belmont event this past Wednesday evening, and similar events will occur at Bellarine and Surf Coast campuses on Tuesday and Wednesday next week respectively. These events are intended to provide support particularly to our Year 4 parents, where in many cases their child’s new College laptop may be their first personal digital device.

Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund

Financial Assistance for Eligible Parents

School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors, excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works and sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are part of a healthy curriculum.

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. Support from CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities and forms part of the State Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card (HCC) or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is: • $150 for primary school students • $250 for secondary school students

How to Apply

Application Forms are available online through the Parent Portal (Go to ‘Student Information’ > ‘Important Forms for Parents’) these forms can be downloaded, completed then uploaded according to the instructions. Hard copy forms are also available from reception at each campus or by emailing enquire@ccg.vic.edu.au

More Information

For the CSEF application closing dates and more information about the fund please visit this webpage

CSEF_Application_Form_2024

Find Yourself at our Open Day!

On March 5, all five Christian College campuses and two kindergartens are holding Open Days. Our Open Days provide the opportunity for parents and others interested in enrolling their children at Christian College to have a firsthand look at our College campuses, speak with campus leaders, participate in student-led tours of the facilities, visit classrooms in real time and have their questions answered.

We would encourage everyone in our Christian College community to spread the word and tell anyone you might know who is considering schooling options for their children about our Open Day and the opportunity to come and visit one or more campuses and/or our kinders, with no tour booking required.

Details are on our website – follow the hotlink on our homepage or click Homepage > Join > Open Days.

Opening times for March 5 are as follows:

Junior School-Belmont and Williams House Kindergarten – 9:15 – 10:45am

Bellarine Campus – 9:30 – 11:00am

Surf Coast Campus and Butterfield House Kindergarten – 11:30am – 1:00pm

Middle School-Highton – 10:30am – 12:00 noon

Senior School – 11:30am – 1:00pm

We would love to see as many interested families as possible finding themselves at our Open Day!

Foundation Gathering Hope Appeal Luncheon

The Foundation Gathering Hope Appeal Luncheon is back on and has been scheduled for Friday, 24 May 2024.

You are invited to join us for lunch at the stunning Provenance Wines in Fyansford.

This is a fundraising event for the Foundation and an opportunity to hear about the success and progress of the College.

Our guest speaker is Jossy Chacko, Founder and President of Empart, a global ministry that exists to ignite holistic community transformation among needy communities.

Giving leadership to a team of over 13,000 people and offices in nine countries, Jossy travels around the world inspiring and challenging leaders to capture a larger God-size vision and not to waste gifts and opportunities. He is also the author of Madness! and Dare to Partner.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to come together. 

Secure your seat and book online today! 

https://ccgfoundation.org.au/gh

Golf Tournament 

Join the Christian College Foundation for an exciting four-person Ambrose Golf Day, including a $30,000 hole in one prize on Thursday, 24th of October at 13th Beach Golf Links, Barwon Heads.

Set on the stunning Bellarine Peninsula, the day provides an opportunity to enjoy the award-winning creek course, known for its undulating couch fairways, deep bunkers and interesting swales and hollows.

You will be treated to a scrumptious breakfast on arrival and an opportunity to participate in several fun activities including the longest drive, nearest to the pin etc.

There is plenty of prizes up for grabs, including a cash prize of $30,000. Score a Hole in One on the 12th Hole and you can win. *

You will also be treated to a delicious buffet lunch and learn more about the incredible work of the foundation. Every dollar raised will be dollar matched!