From the Executive Principal
This week Jakara Anthony fever truly swept across our campuses as we eagerly supported our famous alumnus competing in the Winter Olympics in Italy. At our Bellarine Campus, where Jakara began her CCG journey, students celebrated with a mini‑Olympics day, while across other campuses students dressed in green and gold to cheer her on. Our theme of Striving for Excellence this year was inspired by something Jakara shared when she visited us last year: “I always strive for excellence in everything I do.”
Jakara is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest mogul skiers, a fact she demonstrated again through her outstanding qualifying and first final performances in Milan‑Cortina, topping the early rounds with scores that placed her clearly ahead of the field, making her the favourite to defend her 2022 Olympic gold medal. But as many of our students saw on Wednesday night, sport, like life and learning, does not always unfold the way we hope. In the women’s moguls super final, Jakara stumbled partway through her run and finished eighth after being the top qualifier earlier in the day.
Yet it was how she responded that spoke even more loudly than her results. Immediately after her run, Jakara expressed both disappointment and humility, saying she was “bummed” not to have delivered the run she knew she was capable of, but also proud of the high‑level skiing she had produced throughout the competition. Her grace, honesty, and dignity in that moment were a powerful reminder that excellence is not defined by perfection, but by character.
In classrooms this week, our students have been exploring this very idea: striving for excellence will always involve challenges, setbacks, and moments that test us. The real question that shapes who we are becoming is this: How do we respond when difficult things happen? Jakara’s example shows us that excellence is as much about courage, resilience, and reflection as it is about achievement.
We are incredibly proud of Jakara, not only for her world‑class skill, but for the way she carries herself in both triumph and disappointment. Our students have much to learn from her determination and grit, her humility, and her unwavering commitment to keep giving her best, no matter the circumstances.
Just like Jakara, our students had countless opportunities this week to show determination, grit and resilience in their own contexts. For students from our Highton, Bellarine and Surf Coast campuses, this may have been on the Year 7 Camp, or for our Year 9s from Bellarine and Highton, during their hands‑on experiences at the Farm. Senior Campus and Bellarine students demonstrated spirit and perseverance at the Swimming Carnival, while students at our Belmont Campus put courage and creativity on display as they showcased their dance moves and had a go at musical instruments at Tuesday’s Family Picnic. And of course, for every student across our school, the classroom provides daily opportunities to lean into challenge, stretch themselves, show grit and determination, and grow in their learning.
Dr Mathilda Joubert, Executive Principal
Family Welcome Picnic
On Thursday evening, our school lawn came alive as families and friends gathered for our annual Family Welcome Picnic. With beautiful weather and a relaxed atmosphere, it was a wonderful way to begin the new school year and strengthen connections within our community.
Families spread out picnic blankets while children enjoyed playing together and reconnecting with friends. The evening was filled with laughter and conversation, and it was fantastic to see both familiar faces and many new families joining in.
Many families took the opportunity to enjoy the delicious offerings from the food trucks while spending quality time together. Events like these truly reflect the strong sense of belonging and community spirit that makes our school so special.
Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success. We look forward to many more opportunities to connect and celebrate together throughout the year.
Debbie Riddle, Head of Campus
What’s Happening at Surf Coast?
WEEK 4
Monday 16 February – Evacuation Drill – 10.40am
Monday 16 February – Year 7-12 Tennis Selection Try Outs – selected students (date change)
Tuesday 17 February – Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday 17 February – Year 7 – 12 Life Saving Victoria School Surf League – selected students
Wednesday 18 February – Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 18 February – No Prep students at school
Wednesday 18 February – Parent Volunteer Information Session – 2.30pm – Stadium
Thursday 19 February – Year 7 – 12 GiSSA Triathlon Championships – selected students
Friday 20 February – Surf Coast Leaders’ Investiture Service – 9.00am in campus Stadium
Friday 20 February – Year 7 – 12 GISSA Tennis Championships Division One – selected students
Friday 20 February – Prep Discovery Session to Cosy Corner – 11.30am – 1.00pm
WEEK 5
Monday 23 February – Lockdown Drill – 11.15am
Wednesday 25 February – No Prep students at school
Wednesday 25 February – Year 4 to Year 8 Surf Coast & Middle School Highton Combined House Swimming Championships
Thursday 26 February – Year 4 Excursion to the You Yangs
Friday 27 February – Middle School Bible presentations – Year 5 – 8
Friday 27 February – GISSA Tennis Championships Division 2 – Year 7 – 12 selected students
WEEK 6
Tuesday 3 March – Open Day – 11.00am – 1.00pm
Friday 6 March – Junior School Bible presentations
Friday 6 February – Prep Discovery Session to Cosy Corner – 11.30am – 1.00pm
A Fantastic Day at our Surf Coast Campus Cross Country!
What an incredible day we enjoyed at our Surf Coast campus as students from across the school took part in our annual Cross Country event on our oval and surrounding grounds. The atmosphere was buzzing with enthusiasm, determination, and plenty of house spirit as every runner pushed themselves to do their very best.
A huge congratulations to all students who took part—your effort, perseverance, and sportsmanship were truly outstanding. Whether sprinting to the finish line or pacing steadily through the course or cheering on your team, you each contributed to a memorable day of competition and school pride.
We extend a warm thank you to all parents and families who came along to support our runners. Your encouragement from the sidelines makes a tremendous difference and helps create a positive, energetic environment for our students.
A special thank you also goes to Melissa O’Shanassy, who generously volunteered her time as a course marshal and helped ensure the event ran smoothly from start to finish. And another heartfelt thank you to Emily Ford, who dedicated the day to capturing stunning photos of the action with her amazing photography skills. Your contributions are truly appreciated.
Our House Captains and Year 8 Sports students demonstrated fantastic leadership throughout the event, guiding younger students, cheering on competitors, and helping create a vibrant house atmosphere. Their positivity and teamwork were a highlight of the day. Congratulations to all our medallists who placed first, second or third who were recognised during our presentation ceremony at the conclusion of our cross country.
Fastest on Campus
The speed displayed this year was truly remarkable, with fast finishes across the board.
Congratulations to our Female Fastest on Campus, Ruby Williams from Year 7—an incredible achievement! For the boys, well done to our Male Fastest on Campus, Remi Gadd from Year 6. A special mention also goes to Edward Clark, also in Year 6, who finished just one second behind Remi—an extraordinary effort!
House Results
The house competition was tight all day, with plenty of cheering and team spirit on display. Here are the final standings:
4th place — Burrows
3rd place — Penman
2nd place — Flynn
And our 2026 Cross Country House Champions…Congratulations to Taylor House!
A special thank you to all staff and our amazing sports team for their outstanding organisation, coordination, result recording, and leadership throughout the course. Your efforts are what make this event possible. Thank you!
Emma Workman
Year 1 – New Routines, New Friendships and Lots of Enthusiasm!
Year 1 has had a wonderful and positive start to the year, with students settling in quickly and showing great enthusiasm for their learning. It has been lovely to see new friendships forming and students becoming familiar with our classroom routines.
In writing, we have been working on our handwriting, focusing on correct letter formation, spacing between words, and neat presentation.
In maths, we have been exploring number lines. Students have been building their confidence with counting forward and backward, and using number lines to help solve simple addition and subtraction problems.
We have also enjoyed learning about our families. Students shared special traditions, family members, and what makes each family unique. This has helped us build a strong and supportive classroom community.
Our class has been very excited to learn about the Winter Olympics, discovering different sports, countries, and what it takes to be an athlete. It has been a fantastic start to Year 1.
Olivia Vandenberg
Year 3 – Many Term 1 Highlights Already!
What a wonderful welcome and start we have had in Year 3 here at Surf Coast.
Students have settled into routine and shown us what a great community we are a part of, from organising their learning tools to showing new students around, we are already so proud of them.
We have started our specialist learning areas and enjoyed creating Music on the recorder, making beautiful creations in Art and having lots of fun in Health and PE. Thank you to all our families for helping your student being organised.
Here are recent highlights from some Year 3 students:
Hamish: My highlight has been practising for cross country that is at the end of the week because I have gotten to run and get fit.
Daman: My highlight has been playing soccer outside and starting to write narratives in class – mine is about soccer.
Sam: My highlight has been learning about community groups and getting to colour in the community groups I am in.
Lexi: My highlight has been meeting my new teacher and new students in my class and starting to learn the recorder.
Have a fantastic week ahead.
Sophie McDonagh
Amy Shirley
Year 5
Our Year 5 students proudly completed their first piece of writing for the year, all about themselves. They shared their interests, goals, strengths and what makes them unique. The classroom is now brightened with a fantastic display showcasing their work. It celebrates individuality, builds confidence and marks a wonderful start to their Year 5 journey together.
Nick Hogan
Year 7 Camp – Cave Hill Creek
Our Year 7 students recently returned from camp at Cave Hill Creek, where they embraced many opportunities to step outside their comfort zones. Over three days, students tackled new challenges, tried a range of outdoor activities, and continued to build strong bonds with classmates, or strike up new friendships with their peers. The camp also provided a wonderful chance for students to get to know their teachers in a relaxed and supportive setting.
It was a fantastic experience for all involved and a great way to begin their secondary school journey. The camp was a tremendous success, and we are proud of the enthusiasm and community spirit shown by our Year 7s.
Enjoy some of the Year 7 students’ reflections:
“I love everything about camp!”
“A highlight from camp was getting halfway up the Giant’s Ladder with a moon boot!”
“I was worried I was going to be homesick when I was going to bed, but I was fine in the end.”
“My highlight was making new friends and connecting and having fun with different people.”
“My highlight was the disco!”
“My challenge for camp was doing the Vertical Challenge, but I made it and I was super proud.”
“Even though I didn’t get the cabin I really wanted, I still had fun.”
“My challenge at camp was sleeping overnight without my parents but I overcame it because someone was there for me.”
“My highlight was hanging out with friends – new and old!”
What a great start to our Year 7 journey.
Leanne Crole
All-Star Kids at CCG
Brendan Vanderkley, Director of Digital Learning
Open Day – March 3
The first of our Open Days for 2026 is on Tuesday March 3. Each of our campuses and kindergartens will open their doors for interested parents/families and students to take a tour of facilities, meet students, staff and campus leaders. Because we run our Open Days on a regular school day, they have the opportunity to see some of our teaching and learning programs firsthand.
We encourage all Christian College families with friends, colleagues or other acquaintances that might be interested in a Christian College education for their children to spread the word about our campuses opening on March 3.
Campus opening times are as follows:
Junior School-Belmont 9:15 – 10:45 am
Williams House Kindergarten 9:15 – 10:45 am
Middle School-Highton 9:15am – 11:15am
Senior School-Waurn Ponds 9:30 am – 11:00am
Bellarine Campus 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Surf Coast Campus 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Butterfield House Kindergarten 9:30 – 11:00am
All are welcome on the day. We encourage anyone intending to attend to visit our website and use the hotlink at the top of the homepage to register their interest to keep updated.
International Women’s Day – You’re Invited!
Christian College Geelong warmly invites all students, staff, families and alumni to join us in celebrating International Women’s Day at our complimentary breakfast event, Balance the Scales, on Friday, 6 March 2026 at 7:20am.
We look forward to a meaningful morning of connection, reflection, and inspiration as we hear from our guest speaker, Catherine Bell, a leadership and organisational development consultant, respected advocate for positive cultural change, and proud Christian College alumna.
Click here to register your interest to help with planning, but everyone is welcome on the day. Please note: a light breakfast will be provided.
Guest Speaker – Catherine Bell (Alumna, Class of 1993)
Catherine Bell brings more than 20 years’ experience across government, business, and the not-for-profit sector. A former CCG School Captain, Catherine is a Fellow of the Australian HR Institute, an internationally credentialed coach, and holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology.
Through her work with Bell Training Group, and in partnership with Buy One Give One, Catherine has contributed to over 400,000 positive global impacts, driven by her belief that great leadership can transform schools, workplaces, communities, and the world.
Raffle Tickets
Cost: $5 each
All funds raised will support the Christian College Geelong Foundation, helping to transform lives through the gift of education.
Tennille McInnes
Future Student Enrolments
Please note, across our campuses we have now commenced sending enrolment offers for 2027. We ask that all families with future siblings wishing to attend Christian College, please confirm their child is enrolled or use this link Christian College Geelong | Christian College Geelong to commence the process.
To confirm your child’s Enrolment, please phone or email the relevant campus(es).