Surf Coast Term 2 Week 4

From the Acting Principal

"Wow!" That's the first word I uttered, loudly, when the curtain came down on last Friday night's performance of our 2024 College Production of Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella: The Musical. Our students, from the seasoned performers to the first-time-on-stage youngsters, ranging from Year 6 to Year 12, were incredible. Talented? Yes. Hardworking? Absolutely!

As we know at Christian College, ultimately, it's not about the performance or the end result, as impressive and amazing as it was. It was, indeed the journey to get there, the months of planning and preparation, supported throughout by wonderful teamwork, that truly made this production such a success for our community.

So many ingredients went into producing what packed audiences – more than 2000 across the performances – experienced at The Play House, Geelong Arts Centre, last weekend. In people terms, these ingredients included: the principal cast; the village and royal ensembles; the staff and student musicians in the orchestra; a production team made up of staff, students and parents responsible for costumes, choreography, props, the stage sets, lighting, audio, hair and makeup; backstage crew, front of house team and a bunch of staff in supervising roles through rehearsals and performances. It truly was a team effort.

The positive impact such experiences as these have on students cannot be underestimated. In the words of one parent: "we are thrilled at how much this has allowed [our daughter] to feel more confident, make new friends and feel like part of a wonderful community at CCG.” 

Mothers’ Day

It was our pleasure this week to host our Surf Coast mums at our annual Mothers’ Day pamper afternoon. The mums and their children enjoyed afternoon tea together and then an opportunity to visit the classrooms and take part in craft activities, selfies, decorating biscuits, vase making, flower arranging, jewellery making and of course the chance to have their nails painted. On Friday the annual Mother’s Day stall was a hive of activity, with the children perusing the many gifts with the hope to choose just the right one for their mum. We hope and pray our mums have the most wonderful Mothers’ Day and that God richly blesses them.

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 2 2024

WEEK 5

Monday 13 May                                    Chicken Hatching Program Year 1

Monday 13 May                                    Prep Discovery Learning Periods 3 & 4

Wednesday 15 May                 Prep Discovery Learning

Thursday 16 May                      Year 1 visit to Spring Creek

Thursday 16 May                      Lunchtime concert – music students

Friday 17 May                          Pupil Free Day – All students

Prep – 50 Days of School

The Prep 50 days of school celebration was a day filled with laughter, learning, and a lot of fun. The children arrived at school, their excitement palpable, dressed up in the most imaginative ways to represent the concept of ‘half’. Some had their hair coloured in two different shades, while others wore mismatched shoes or clothes split down the middle in contrasting colours and patterns. It was a vibrant display of creativity that celebrated the ‘half’ concept beautifully.
The day was packed with a myriad of activities, all centred around the number 50. One of the highlights was when the children took to the outdoors, chalk in hand, and filled the pavement with numbers. Under the warm sunshine, they wrote all the numbers from 1 to 50, their colourful chalk drawings a testament to their growing numeracy skills.
Another engaging activity was learning about symmetry. The children were tasked with drawing the other half of their faces, a fun and interactive way to understand this fundamental concept. They looked at their reflections, studied their features, and tried to replicate them on paper. The results were both amusing and insightful, as they marvelled at the symmetry in their own faces.
The day was not just about learning; it was also about having fun. The children’s laughter echoed through the school as they participated in the activities. The joy on their faces was evident, their enthusiasm infectious. The Prep 50 days of school celebration was indeed a day to remember, a day where learning and fun went hand in hand, and the concept of ‘half’ was explored in the most enjoyable ways. It was a day filled with joy, a testament to the spirit of learning and the magic of school days.

Year 1’s Exciting Journey Continues…

With Mothers’ Day around the corner, Year 1s engaged in activities to celebrate the special women in their lives. From crafting items to planting seeds of love, creativity and appreciation bloomed in our classroom!

We also continued our exploration of habitats, diving deeper into the homes of various creatures. Armed with curiosity, students went on scavenger hunts, collecting items that were just right for their habitats. Through this hands-on experience, they discovered the unique features that make each habitat a perfect fit for its creatures.

In the world of numbers, our young mathematicians delved into subtraction. Armed with their newfound knowledge, they explored different ways to model and create numbers. With each new discovery, our Year 1 students continued their exciting learning journey.

It’s all About Mums…

We love our mums! Year 2s have had a wonderful week preparing for Mothers’ Day. They loved pampering their mums at the Mothers’ Day Pamper Afternoon, making posies, painting their nails and making vases and photo frames. In class, Year 2s have been thinking and writing about how their mums look after them and love them.

Thank you to all the mums and special people in our lives!

Exciting Times in Year 3 Science

The Year 3 students began their first science unit this week and made some predictions about what they were expecting to investigate during the Chemical and Physical Sciences unit. Many of the students were excited about conducting experiments – preferably with some form of explosion and they eagerly proffered ideas of different elements that would cause some type of explosive reaction. Alas, our first lesson was a theoretical introduction to states of matter, and they explored the definitions of solids, liquids, and gases. They conducted a classifying exercise and impressively demonstrated their understanding of the properties of each state of matter. Now that we have whet their appetite, stay tuned for the results of their science experiments!

Fabulous Forces

It’s time to delve into the exciting world of science with our Year 4 students as they embark on a journey of discovery, investigating physical forces. Our young scientists have been immersing themselves in experiments, exploring the fundamental forces that shape our universe.

In their recent endeavours, students have been exploring air resistance, gravity and magnetic forces. Through a series of experiments, they’ve been unravelling the mysteries behind these phenomena and extending their scientific understanding.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this exploration has been the collaborative effort between our Year 4 students and their Prep buddies. Together, they’ve shared insights and discoveries during these sessions. This partnership not only enhanced their scientific endeavours but also continued to foster meaningful connections, strengthening the bonds within our school community.

Our Year 5 Wagga Comes Together

As part of our learning in Term 1, Year 5 studied the early history of Geelong. As part of this, we visited the Wool Museum in Geelong. Here we discussed the first quilts in Australia. The ‘Wagga’. This was a very basic version of a quilt made by shearers in Wagga Wagga out of hessian sacks. As women moved into the area, they started to add to these Waggas using old shirts and clothing. We took this idea and made our own 5T Wagga. We started with an actual wool bale bag and each member of the class researched one element of Geelong’s History or a significant landmark in the Geelong area.

This week our Wagga came back to us sewn together and looking amazing. What a fantastic piece of our own history we were able to make together. It now hangs proudly in our 5T classroom. Special thanks to Mr Trevaskis for sewing it together for us.

Deakin District Winter Carnival

On Thursday last week, our Year 5 and 6 students participated in the annual Deakin District Winter Carnival. Our students joined with Bellarine Campus students to play a variety of sports at two venues, Geelong College and Kardinia Park.

We were blessed with sunny conditions and students enjoyed playing football, soccer, T-Ball, netball and volleystars. The event ran smoothly with lots of students enjoying playing with and against other students.

Overall, the results were mixed with some success had by most teams, playing multiple games against the other schools. This week we commenced a five-week block of games playing against an individual school. Please see below the upcoming schedule for our students.

Week 4- 9/5- Round 1 of Winter sport vs Grovedale West- Away (Kardinia Park- Netball and Football, Reserve Road Soccer Ground – Soccer, Saints Baseball Ground- T-Ball)

Week 5- 16/5- Round 2 of Winter sport vs Montpellier- Bellarine Campus (School – Soccer, T-Ball and Volleystars, Drysdale Reserve – Netball and Football)

Week 6- 23/5- Round 3 of Winter sport vs KIC- Bellarine Campus (School – Soccer, T-Ball and Volleystars, Drysdale Reserve – Netball & Football)

Week 7- 30/5- Round 4 of Winter sport vs Christian College Highton – Bellarine Campus (School – Soccer, T-Ball and Volleystars, Drysdale Reserve – Netball & Football)

Week 8- 6/6- Round 5 of Winter sport vs Geelong College – Away at Geelong College

Our Swimming and Athletics Medalists

During assembly today, it was great to acknowledge the achievements of some of our Year 4 – 6 students who participated in the House Swimming and Athletics Carnivals in Term 1. These students received medals as they had finished in the top three for their respective year level.

At the House Swimming Carnival held at Kardinia Swimming Centre, students could swim in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly events at either 25m or 50m distances.

With the House Athletics Carnival at Middle School, students had the opportunity to participate in seven events – 100m, 200m, 600m, discus, shot put, high jump and long jump.

For both events, ten points are awarded for first, six for second, four for third and two for fourth. We would like to congratulate the students below who received medals for their outstanding performances in these events.

House Swimming

Year 4 Girls                                                                             Year 4 Boys

1 – Lotte Goding                                                                   1 – Bryce Hunter

2 – Ivy Fraser                                                                           2 – Finn Hunter

3 – Molly Prendergast                                                      3 – Theo Oliveri

The Library is Buzzing!

There has been a buzz in the Library in Term 2 with the introduction of a few exciting new initiatives at lunchtime and after school.

On Wednesdays the library has become a battlefield of wits and strategy with the introduction of Chess Club! It has been wonderful to see participants from all year levels engaging in matches, honing their skills, and fostering friendships over the chessboard. Whether you’re a seasoned grandmaster or just starting out, everyone is welcome at Chess Club.

Lego Club on a Friday lunchtime has also been popular with our budding Master Builders. Lego Club participants are tasked with a weekly challenge to test their creativity and building skills. A favourite challenge over the last few weeks has been the marble maze challenge, with our builders enjoying creating and then handing over their mazes to a friend to try getting a marble through. Lego club is for both Lego enthusiasts or those just looking for a fun way to spend lunchtime, all students are welcome to join in on the fun.

Our Library is now open after school on a Tuesday, with families invited to come and spend time reading, borrowing and enjoying the space at their own pace. Parents are encouraged to join in the fun and borrow books alongside their children, fostering a shared love for reading and discovery. Whether you’re seeking a new read or simply looking to unwind in the relaxing atmosphere of our library, Tuesday afternoons are the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the joy of books and reading.

Reminder:  Generative AI Parent Webinar

A reminder to parents and members of our community that we will be offering an online parent webinar, delivered via Microsoft Teams, next Wednesday. It has been wonderful to see such strong parent interest via RSVP responses and questions submitted so far.

There is still time to register for this event. Further details about the event are listed below.

Event: Generative AI and School Parent Webinar
Format: Microsoft Teams online webinar
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Time: 6.30pm – 7.15pm

Topics likely to be explored in the webinar include:

• What is generative AI?
• What are the benefits, risks, and limitations of these tools?
• What is the College’s response to generative AI?
• What AI tools do students have access to at school?
• What are the College’s rules and guidelines for use of generative AI?
• How can I support my child with navigating this space ethically and safely?

Interested parents are encouraged to register for the event via the form link below, to help with planning. Parents can also indicate what information they feel would be most relevant to them as they complete this form.

Register for the parent webinar

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!