From The Executive Principal

This week across all our campuses, our students have been engaged in a range of activities to mark Harmony Day, a special moment in the Australian calendar where we pause to celebrate the rich cultural diversity that strengthens our nation, and in particular, our own College community.

Harmony Day, held each year on 21 March, reminds us that everyone belongs. It is a celebration of inclusiveness, respect, and the beauty of different cultures coming together. Today I am wearing a touch of orange, the colour that symbolises meaningful conversations, mutual respect, and the warmth of community to honour this important day in our school calendar.

What’s Happening at Surf Coast?

WEEK 9

Monday 23 March – GISSA Golf Titles – Years 7 -12 – selected students

Monday 23 March – NAPLAN Tests – Catch up – Years 3, 5, & 7

Tuesday 24 March – Year 5 Music excursion to Senior School campus

Wednesday 25 March – GISSA Major Title Swimming Championships – selected students

Wednesday 25 March – Cross Campus Instrumental Music Performance Night – Piano (Prep-Yr. 12 selected students)

Thursday 26 March – Prep Alphabet Day

Thursday 26 March – Cross Campus Instrumental Music Performance Night – Strings (Prep-Yr. 12 selected students)

Friday 27 March – Lightning Premiership – Year 5 & 6

Friday 27 March – Prep to Year 4 Assembly –Stadium – 9.00am

Friday 27 March – Prep & Year 4 Discovery Session to Cosy Corner – 11.30am – 1.00pm

Harmony Week

This week, our Surf Coast campus proudly celebrated Harmony Week, recognising and embracing the message that ‘Everyone Belongs’. Homerooms contributed to a vibrant whole-school mural displayed on the reception window, with each student adding a colourful handprint to symbolise unity, inclusion, and our shared community. Through a picnic lunch, homeroom activities and thoughtful discussions, students explored the importance of respect, inclusivity, and a strong sense of belonging for all.

Many students have also embraced the opportunity to showcase their creativity by preparing entries for the National Schools’ Poster, Short Film, and Songwriting competitions, inspired by the theme ‘Harmony Day: Moving Forward Together’. We look forward to sharing these entries with our community as we continue to celebrate harmony within our school.

Huff, Puff, Create!

This week, our Prep students explored the classic fairy tale The Three Little Pigs as part of their English learning. They were engaged during story time, eagerly joining in by using different voices for the pigs and the big bad wolf.

Over the course of the week, students responded to comprehension questions that helped deepen their understanding of the story. They discussed key elements such as the setting, characters and sequence of events, encouraging thoughtful conversation.

Using their creativity, the Preps designed and crafted their own scenes of the three pigs’ houses. With paper materials, they recreated a straw house, a stick house, and a brick house, adding the pigs and the wolf blowing them down. It was fantastic to see students proudly share their work and use their creations to retell the story together.

Year 2 Japanese Day Celebration

Over the past few weeks, our Year 2 students have been exploring the culture and geography of Japan as part of our Reading unit. To celebrate everything we have discovered, we were excited to take part in a special Japanese Day incursion, which brought our learning to life in a fun and engaging way.

The students participated in a range of hands-on activities that allowed them to experience different aspects of Japanese culture. They had the opportunity to make their own sushi, design their very own Pokémon cards, create beautiful kimono designs, and construct a traditional Japanese toy called a Kendama. Each activity helped the students connect their classroom learning with real cultural traditions.

To make the day even more special, many students came dressed in Japanese-themed clothing, which added to the excitement and atmosphere of the celebration. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and curiosity as they embraced the activities and shared what they had learned.

Year 2 had an absolutely fantastic day celebrating their learning about Japan. It was a joyful way to deepen their understanding of another culture and reflect on the knowledge they have built throughout the unit.

Year 4s On Board With Creative Writing

Students in our classroom have been enthusiastically engaged in writing imaginative narratives about life as a child travelling aboard a convict ship to Australia in the 1800s. This rich writing task has been developed as part of our book study Waves, which we have been exploring throughout the second half of the term.

To deepen their understanding, students researched the route each character would have taken, identifying their country of origin and final destination in Australia. They mapped these long and challenging journeys on a world map, helping them visualise the distance travelled and the hardships faced along the way. This research supported students in creating more authentic and detailed narratives.

Throughout the unit, students have been learning to use literary devices such as repetition, simile, and hyperbole. They have also worked on expanding their sentence structures by using adjectives and connectives to turn simple sentences into compound and complex sentences, with a strong focus on clearly including who, what, when, and where through effective use of verbs and nouns.

Students have thoroughly enjoyed the writing process and have done an excellent job creating thoughtful, imaginative, and impressive pieces of writing.

Our Visit to Villa Paloma

During Week 5, our Year 6 students had the exciting opportunity to visit the Christian College Villa Paloma campus, a dedicated Senior Arts precinct that highlights the rich creative pathways available in Visual and Media Arts.

Throughout the day, students explored a range of inspiring art studios and gallery spaces, gaining insight into the kinds of artistic practices they can pursue in their future years of learning. The visit provided a valuable glimpse into the possibilities that exist within the Arts at a senior level.

As part of the experience, students also participated in a hands-on incursion centred on the work of contemporary Indigenous artist Christian Thompson. Through this workshop, students explored themes of identity, culture, and visual storytelling, while developing their understanding of how artists communicate meaning through imagery and performance.

This engaging experience encouraged students to think creatively, experiment with new ideas, and consider how they might use photography and visual media in their own artistic practice. It was a wonderful opportunity to inspire curiosity and creativity as students continue to grow as learners and artists.

Physical Education at Surf Coast

It has been a pleasure to get to know our new Preps, as well as students new to our campus, and great to see all our wonderful returning students.

During Week 3, we all had the pleasure of cheering on the students as they completed a very challenging course at the House Cross Country Championships. With limited training, it was great to see the resilience and efforts of all involved in completing the course as best as they could. Congratulations to our placegetters and well done to all other participants.

This term students in Prep – Year 3 will be focusing on the ‘Fundamental Motor Skills’ (FMS) of ‘Locomotor’ (running, leaping, and dodging) and Vertical Jump.

Sand and Surf Carnival: Energy, Teamwork and Coastal Spirit

Our annual Sand and Surf Carnival this week was a fantastic day filled with excitement, resilience and outstanding sportsmanship from students and staff. It was a great day of sport across campuses from Surf Coast Campus and Bellarine Campus. Despite a rainy start at the commencement of the day, the weather soon cleared, allowing all scheduled events to proceed as planned. Once on track, the conditions could not have been better, with excellent water conditions setting the scene for an actionpacked carnival.

On the sand, students gave their all in the sprint and relay events, running hard and showing determination right to the finish line. The flags events proved to be a highlight, with students competing fiercely, challenging one another and demonstrating impressive agility and focus.

Out in the water, our students rose to the challenge once again. Strong performances were seen across the board race, wade and swim events, with students paddling confidently and showcasing the skills they have been developing. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and commitment in every race.

Community Prayer Group

Instrumental Music - Woodwind Performance Evening

This Wednesday evening parents and woodwind students from Years 4 to 12 gathered in the RW Gibson Centre at the Senior Campus to enjoy a wonderful night of woodwind solos and duets. There was a sense of joy, warmth and community celebration as each performer took the stage. Students championed each other to rise above their nerves to perform with poise and confidence.

The instruments featured throughout the evening included Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Bassoon and Bass Clarinet.

This term’s series of Instrumental Music Nights provide a unique opportunity for students of all year levels to be inspired by others; they provide wonderful motivation as students enjoy hearing a broad range of repertoire and performance skills. Younger students can witness the repertoire and skills of VCE Music students and VCE music students are able to encourage the younger performers. The items featured a vast range of musical styles performed by soloists and a duet. The students who require piano accompaniment have rehearsals leading up to the evening, with a tutor who becomes their collaborative artist.

Combined Geelong School’s String Festival

On Tuesday this week, Christian College hosted the annual Combined Geelong School’s String Festival. The Middle School String Ensembles from Highton, Surf Coast and Bellarine, as well as students from Sacred Heart College, Kardinia College and St Ignatius gathered in the RW Gibson Auditorium for a combined rehearsal and performance. They rehearsed three new pieces which provided an opportunity to explore a range of string techniques as well as developing ensemble skills. The concert was truly wonderful to see and hear, as 94 students that have never played together before, presented a dynamic and musical performance. A special thanks to CCG String Co-Ordinator's Rebecca Bertoncello and Matheus Oliveira, and cello teachers Catie Martin and Jeanette Carnie for their work and support of our Middle School students.

Harmony Week Celebrations

Harmony Week is an important celebration that recognises and embraces Australia’s cultural diversity, bringing together people from all backgrounds. It promotes inclusiveness, respect, and a strong sense of belonging for everyone within our community.

Across each campus, Harmony Week has been celebrated through a variety of engaging activities designed to promote inclusion, celebrate diversity, and foster meaningful connections among staff and students. These activities have provided opportunities for storytelling, collaboration, and shared experiences in a fun and welcoming environment.

Throughout the week, our school community has enjoyed a wide range of events, including picnic lunches, trivia sessions, student versus teacher games, barbecues, face painting, and educational activities that highlight the rich diversity within our community.

We would like to sincerely acknowledge and thank our staff and students for their enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication in organising and participating in these events. Their efforts have been instrumental in creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere across our campuses.

With more exciting activities planned, we look forward to continuing the celebrations tomorrow.

Beating the Blues

How to support your child’s mental health through the colder months.

As summer has come to a close and the colder weather is creeping in, it is important for children and adolescents to maintain positive engagement and connection. As the days begin to become shorter and the nights are longer, you may find your child spending more time indoors. A change into cooler weather can influence children and adolescents by causing low energy, irritability and sadness.

Australian Childhood Trauma Group and Harrison Child Psychology have highlighted how seasonal changes influence mental health:

Australian Music Examination Board - Sound Insights Day! 

Students learning an instrument may enjoy the AMEB Sound Insights Day at Melbourne Recital Centre during the school holidays on Tuesday 14 April 2026. 

This unique series of AMEB workshops, master classes and showcase concerts at MRC will provide learners with the chance to hear AMEB repertoire live, join the discussion of pieces, and gain essential exam insights. Students can also join throughout the day at AMEB Quiz Corner for a series of musical challenges and a chance to win some fantastic prizes, including Manhasset music stands valued at $160. 

With sessions featuring professional performers and AMEB examiners Kristian Chong, Josephine Vains, and Johanna Selleck, plus composers Calvin Bowman, Aaron Wyatt and Carolyn Morris, the AMEB Sound Insights Day is a must for all ages and musical levels. 

Student tickets are $10, with a 15% discount when you attend more than one event.            

For more information and to book, visit: 

https://www.melbournerecital.com.au/whats-on/series/ameb-sound-insights-day  

All-Star Kids at CCG

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).