Surf Coast Term 2 Week 4

From the Executive Principal

The arts are truly flourishing at Christian College, as you will see in this week’s Vine. It made me reflect on the value of the arts: how does an art-rich education benefit children and young people?  

The performing arts, including theatre, music, drama or dance, play a vital role in a child’s development, offering a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and social benefits. Research shows that participation in drama fosters creativity, confidence, and teamwork, helping children build communication skills and empathy as they step into different roles and perspectives. Music, on the other hand, enhances memory, concentration, and emotional expression while strengthening coordination and discipline through practice and performance. Whether children are engaging directly in these art forms or enjoying them as audience members, they gain an appreciation for storytelling, beauty, and the power of human connection. The performing arts teach perseverance, adaptability, and collaboration, instilling lifelong lessons that extend far beyond the stage. Engaging with music and drama helps young minds grow, shaping well-rounded individuals with a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them – what worthy pursuits. 

I loved seeing our students perform in the All Band’s evening last night and look forward to the upcoming Strings and Choirs evenings, because it creates opportunities for them to build these skills I have just highlighted above. Our Year 11 students also enjoyed an incursion this week watching Macbeth, performed by Overflow Theatre Company - run by former College Captain Molly England (2020) and involving other CCG alumni. How wonderful that our alumni return to build back into our College community! 

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 2025

WEEK 4

Monday 12  May                       MSAC Swimming Championships – Selected Students

Wednesday 14 May                  GISSA Year 7 1pm – 1.30pm

Thursday 15 May                      College Band Performance Evening – Concert band students

Round 2 of Year 5 and 6 Winter Carnival

Friday 16  May                          No students on campus – staff development day

Treasure Island – Showtime Next Week! 

Excitement is mounting as the opening performance of the middle years production of Treasure Island approaches. The talented young cast drawn from the Bellarine, Surfcoast and Highton campuses have been rehearsing since February to bring the iconic Robert Louis Stevenson story to life and as a bonus experiencing all of the benefits of participation in a college production.  

With infectious enthusiasm from the cast of 10-14 year olds and creative direction from drama teachers Kelly Clifford and Taylah Broad Treasure Island offers an entertaining theatre experience for the whole family. The auditorium at the Bellarine campus will be transformed to a mysterious island, complete with palm trees, pirates and plenty of adventure.  

 The play will be staged at 1pm and 7pm on Friday May 23 and 1pm and 5.30pm on Saturday May 24. Tickets are available by clicking on the Treasure Island hotlink at the top of the Christian College homepage.  

Prep Pet Safety Incursion with Wilfred the Chocolate Labrador!

This week, our Prep students had a wonderful and educational experience with Wilfred, the chocolate Labrador. We learnt Wilfred is called “chocolate” because of his beautiful brown colour, not because he tastes like chocolate! 😉

During the incursion, students learned about the importance of pet microchips and special scanners that vets use to keep our furry friends safe. The students also chatted about what vets check during a visit, including eyes, ears, bones, paws, and heart.

One of the key lessons was how to stay safe around dogs, especially if we come across an angry one. The steps are simple but very important:

• Stand still with hands by our sides.
• Look at the ground and stay quiet.
• Once the dog is gone, take a few steps back away from where they were.

We even sang a fun song to help us remember these steps!

Year 1 – Maths and a Visit From a Furry Friend

This week, our Year 1s have been working incredibly hard and showing great focus in their learning. In spelling, we have been exploring some tricky digraphs including ai, ay, and igh, and the students have done a fantastic job identifying these sounds in words. We’re now beginning to look at the ar digraph, and it’s been wonderful to see so many students trying to use their new sounds in their writing.

In Maths, we’ve been busy practising our number bonds and learning how they help us with both addition and subtraction. The children have shown great determination and have enjoyed using different strategies to solve number problems.

A special highlight of the week was a visit from the Responsible Pet Ownership program. We learned all about how to stay safe around dogs and the importance of being kind and calm. It’s been another fun and productive week in Year 1!

Year 2 – It’s Been a Busy Week!

Our Year 2 students have been working incredibly hard this week!
We’ve continued our exciting exploration of maps and our place in the world. As part of this, students completed a task called “Me on the Map”, where they investigated where they live and how that location appears on maps of different scales.

We’ve also been enjoying the beautiful picture book “Are We There Yet?” by Alison Lester. This engaging story took us on a journey around Australia, showcasing many of the stunning places in our amazing country. Students made personal connections to the story by sharing places they’ve visited with their families and writing fictional postcards from one of these destinations.

In Mathematics, we’re wrapping up our unit on Addition and Subtraction. Students have explored a variety of strategies to solve problems, including breaking numbers into tens and ones for vertical addition, as well as using doubles, near doubles, and friends of ten strategies. They’ve shown great persistence and enthusiasm, often using concrete materials to support their learning.

Year 3 – Ancient Rome and Heroic Stories

We hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers’ Day weekend and was celebrated in a way that was meaningful for you. Thank you again, to all our families who participated in the Mothers’ Day afternoon, we hope you had a special time.

As we slowly wind down from our excitement from camp, Year 3 has been diving headfirst into our new English unit of Ancient Rome and enjoying heroic stories of a range of Roman gods and goddesses and their significance in the lives of everyday romans. Many students have recalled their knowledge from our Greek unit in Term 1 and have enjoyed making links between both.

Students have also been demonstrating excellent participation, problem-solving and persistence as they practise multiplication and division using a range of strategies. Students have been multiplying and dividing using arrays and using reasoning to explain their responses which has seen a lot of deeper discussion and new understanding occurring. We’re so proud of them!

Year 4s Explore Gravity and Drag

Our Year 4 students have been diving into the fascinating world of forces through our interdisciplinary unit, “May the Force be with You.” Most recently, they had an exciting opportunity to learn about gravity and air resistance through a hands-on experiment involving parachutes.

In this engaging activity, students worked in groups to create parachutes using various materials, including plastic bags, Lycra, butcher’s paper, and crepe paper. The objective was to determine which material would make the most effective parachute. To ensure a fair test, each parachute was the same size and was dropped three times, with the drop times being averaged to identify the most successful material.

Many students were thrilled to see their predictions come true, with the plastic bag parachute emerging as the best performer. This hands-on experiment not only made learning fun but also helped students develop a deeper understanding of the effects of gravity and drag.

Through activities like these, our Year 4s are gaining valuable insights into the forces that shape our world, fostering both curiosity and scientific thinking.

Year 7 Students Inspire Young Scientists With Egg Drop Experiment

In an exciting display of mentorship and scientific curiosity, Year 7 students at Surf Coast recently took on the role of mentors for Year 4 students in a thrilling egg drop experiment. This collaborative project not only sparked a love for science but also fostered a sense of community and teamwork among the students.

The egg drop experiment, a classic challenge in physics and engineering, involves designing a contraption that can protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height. The Year 7 mentors guided their younger peers through the entire process, from brainstorming ideas to constructing their egg-saving devices.

Throughout the project, the Year 7 students demonstrated exceptional leadership and patience. They explained scientific concepts in an engaging and accessible way, ensuring that the Year 4 students understood the principles behind their designs. The younger students, in turn, showed remarkable enthusiasm and creativity, coming up with innovative solutions to the challenge.

Surf Coast Campus – String Starts

Our Year 2 String Program is underway this term, with children from 2J choosing to learn the violin, viola, or cello during a Music and Performing Arts lesson each week. The children are focused, racing to see who can master posture, playing position and pizzicato, and very excited about the prospect of getting a bow! It is incredible to see how fast they learn. 2T will experience the same in Term 3.

Meanwhile, the Year 5 Band program is progressing wonderfully, with the students now coming together to form a Beginner Band. Both the Year 2 String Program and the Year 5 Band program will be sharing their progress with our parent community before the end of the term.

Our college ensembles are gearing up for a series of thrilling performances over the next few weeks. It is truly inspiring to see what our students achieve, especially when viewed through the light of our fledgling musicians in Year 2 and Year 5, many of whom will go on to join the ranks of these ensembles.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for upcoming performances!

Kai Digenis – College Pride on Display at VSAC Swimming Championships

This week, our college was proudly represented at the prestigious VSAC Swimming Championships, held at the Melbourne Sports Centres (MSAC) — one of Australia’s premier aquatic venues. Kai Digenis one of our Surf Coast students was selected to be part of our Christian College team and we are so proud of his excellent achievements. The event, hosted by Swimming Victoria, brought together some of the most talented student-athletes from across the state in a high-level competition that showcased speed, skill, and sportsmanship.

Kai competed with exceptional determination and grace. Representing both our college and campus, he demonstrated not only athletic excellence but also the values of teamwork, resilience, and school spirit. Kai along with the rest of his relay team achieved 2nd place in the 50m medley relay and 3rd in the 50m freestyle relay.

Kai’s performance in the pool was a testament to countless hours of training and dedication. We congratulate Kai on this outstanding achievement and thank him for being such a fantastic ambassador for our college and campus on the state stage.

Flourish Program – Prep to Year 12 Wellbeing   

Here at Christian College our staff are dedicated in fostering a safe environment that supports students’ wellbeing. By utilising the Flourish Program, students are supported in a positive and nurturing environment that promotes mental health, social connections, and academic success. 
Our program takes a whole-College approach and provides developmentally age appropriate; evidence informed resources tailored to the unique needs of each year level. Each week students are empowered to contribute their thoughts on the topic that is being discussed and how it may impact their wellbeing. 
Currently in our Junior years our students are building on their emotional development by focusing on topics such as resilience and social skills. By doing so we are equipping students with foundational skills to navigate their emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. 

Calling All Coding Wizards

Are you ready to unlock your inner tech wizard? 🧙‍♂️✨ We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Coding Challenge, open to all students with a knowledge of coding.

What is it?
The Coding Challenge is an international competition where students will tackle fun programming puzzles using their coding and algorithmic thinking skills. The coding challenge requires students to have a working knowledge of Turtle Blocky, Python, C#, Java or VB. More information can be found at https://www.amt.edu.au/cc

When and Where?

Date: Tuesday the 17 of June 2025
Location: On Campus/online

Duration: 45 mins

How to Sign Up:
Email S.bergin@ccg.vic.edu.au before Friday the 6 of June.

Celebrating 23 Years of Independence: Standing with Timor-Leste

On Tuesday, May 20, Christian College will proudly celebrate the 23rd Anniversary of Independence for Timor-Leste, a nation that holds a special place in our community's heart.

Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century when it achieved full independence on May 20, 2002. Since that historic day, the country has been rebuilding its economy and infrastructure with determination and hope. Among the most powerful tools in this journey, education!

At Christian College, we believe that education empowers and we've seen this firsthand through our long-standing friendship with the community of Viqueque in Timor-Leste. What started as a partnership has grown into a meaningful commitment to help support educational opportunities from kindergarten through to university.

Why Education?

Education is more than just learning. It is empowerment. It helps individuals unlock their potential, rise above poverty, and shape the future of their communities. In Timor-Leste, something as small as $14 can send a student to university for an entire week. That’s an opportunity to transform a life.

Magical Musical Nights With College Ensembles

Across Term 2, Christian College students, staff and families are warmly invited to enjoy and appreciate a range of our finest musicians from different levels and different campuses performing in the Middle School-Highton Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Last night we held the College All-Bands Night, which featured a huge Combined Novice Band with students from Bellarine, Highton and Surf Coast campuses performing all together for the first time. We were also entertained by the Intermediate Stage Band, Highton Intermediate Concert Band, the Bellarine Stage Band, Bellarine Concert Band, Senior Wind Symphony and Senior Stage Band. Thank you to all our dedicated and enthusiastic instrumental staff and major events staff for their work on the night, and for the encouragement of parents, family friends and the wider College community - it is that expertise, hard work and support that makes nights such as last night possible.

Save the date also for the College All-Choirs Night on June 4 and the College All-Strings Night on June 24. Watch this space in The Vine, and our social media platforms, as the dates approach, for details.

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.