Surf Coast Term 2 Week 5

From the Executive Principal

What a cornucopia of experiences this week. We celebrated Timor Leste Independence Day at all campuses with flag-raising ceremonies and a range of other activities. Commemorating this day is special to us because of our longstanding relationship with the Viqueque community by supporting the education of children and young people in Timor Leste. Our Senior Prefects will be travelling there during the Term 2 break, and we look forward to hearing back from them next term. These experiences can be absolutely life-changing for our young people, when they shift perspective to become other-centred.  

We also celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime at three campuses (Junior School, Surf Coast and Bellarine) this week when Australian primary schools and libraries across the country joined to watch or read this year’s picture story book ‘The Truck Cat’ written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell. 

I had the pleasure of being a panel member in the Year 8 International Food Challenge at our Bellarine Campus. Three student teams each had to prepare two dishes to represent the food of a chosen country: Japan, Vietnam and Mexico. Each team had to design the menu, set the table, prepare the food (apparently after weeks of testing, trialling and refining under the guidance of Food Studies teacher, Julie Leo), serve the food, explain the menu and then sit back and wait while the four panel members tasted and deliberated. I was so impressed with the confidence of the students in talking about their food choices, with their attention to detail in preparing the table settings and menus, with the ambitious choice of dishes they prepared (I mean, mung bean mooncakes, and caramel flans are not easy recipes for an adult to master, not to speak of a 13-year old!!!) … and the taste, oh, the taste … The food was exquisite. I can honestly say that I have probably never tasted such crisp spring rolls with such a beautiful balance of flavours, I couldn’t stop eating the caramel flan and the Japanese Tonkatsu pork cutlet was so well prepared with the perfect balance of crunchy crust and moist cutlet. What a taste sensation! Well done to all the students involved and to the wonderful staff for preparing them so well for this experience.  

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 6

Monday 26 May                     Discovery Learning Periods 3 and 4 – Prep

Monday 26 May                    Year 6 Camp – refer to EdSmart

Wednesday 28 May               

Tuesday 27 May –                   Reconciliation Week

Tuesday 3 June                                 

Thursday 29 May                    Round 4 of Year 5 and 6 Winter Carnival – Year 5 & 6

Friday 30 May                        Assembly Year 5 to 7

                                                Casual Dress – Reconciliation Week –  Splash of Colour

Building Connections between Kindergarten and School

There is a lot of research that highlights the importance of how connected students feel in their school community and their academic confidence. When students form strong connections with their teachers and peers, they are more likely to be engaged, exhibit stronger social skills, and display more positive behaviour. These relationships act as a catalyst for motivation and learning, creating an environment where students feel supported and valued. We are very lucky to be in a school that allows our children to journey with us from three years old all the way to their conclusion in Year Twelve.

Last week the Year Three students headed up the hill to Butterfield House to build connections, or reestablish some, with the Kindergarten children. This is a key part of not only our relationship building but our transition program. The Year Three students spent time outside with the Kindergarten children, playing in the sunshine, riding bikes, climbing trees, on the swing, ‘baking’ in the mud kitchen, and spending some time getting to know each other. The Year Threes were so excited and left feeling like they’d had the best time ever! When the children of Butterfield House head down the hill to begin their school journey, these Year Three students will become their Year Four buddies. It is wonderful to watch the groups of children mix and get to know each other and the Year Threes play the role of leader, nurturing the younger children.

Preps Participate in National Simultaneous Storytime 2025

On Wednesday afternoon, Prep J and Prep T classes came together to take part in the National Simultaneous Storytime 2025. This annual event celebrates reading by having a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator read aloud at the same time in schools, libraries, kindergartens, childcare centres, homes and bookshops across the country.

Our Preppies were fascinated to learn that children all over Australia were reading the same book on the same day, especially when we explored this idea using a map of Australia.

This year’s book was The Truck Cat. Before hearing the story students shared their ideas about what the book might be about. They then listened intently as the story was read to them.

After the story, students enthusiastically discussed Tinka the cat and the journey he took. They shared their favourite parts of the story and swapped stories about their own cats at home. The discussion also explored how the characters were feeling throughout the book, helping students build empathy and understanding.

To finish our session both classes enjoyed some time together, colouring in scenes from the story and building connections across the two prep classes. Prep students had a wonderful afternoon exploring the story and spending time together.

Year 1 – Koalas!

Year 1 students have been diving into the fascinating world of different animals from moles to bees and now koalas as part of their Interdisciplinary (IDL) learning this term. They explored where koalas live, what they eat, and why it’s important to protect their habitats.

To bring their learning to life, the students each created their very own triarama, a 3D model showing a realistic koala habitat! Using paper and coloured pencils, and lots of creativity, the children built miniature eucalyptus forests complete with trees, leaves, and of course, adorable koalas.

The activity helped students understand the different parts of a koala’s habitat, such as trees for climbing and shade, and leaves for food. It was also a fun way to use art to demonstrate our understanding!

Year 1 students practised their research skills by learning koala facts and they had fun cutting and sticking objects on their triaramas.

Timor-Leste Independence Day and National Simultaneous Storytime

On May 20, our Year 2 students took part in a very special day of learning and celebration to recognise Timor-Leste Independence Day. This important day marks when Timor-Leste became an independent country in 2002. The students learned all about the country’s history and culture.

To honour the day, we attended a flag raising ceremony where we respectfully watched the flag of Timor-Leste being raised. We reflected on the importance of freedom and how different countries celebrate their own national days.

Our students also got involved in raising money to support individuals hoping to attend university in Timor-Leste by buying a sausage for lunch and wearing yellow, red, black and white casual clothes (the colours of Timor’s flag). Thank you to all the families who supported our efforts!

As part of our learning, we also joined in the National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday, where schools all over Australia read the same book at the same time. This year’s story was The Truck Cat — a fun and heartwarming tale about a cat who finds a home on a truck. After reading, we had great discussions about the characters, themes, and the importance of kindness and belonging — values that link nicely to what we learned about Timor-Leste.

It was a fantastic week filled with learning, reflection, and fun. We’re so proud of how our Year 2 students demonstrated great respect and curiosity.

Busy Hands and Big Hearts in Year 3

Things are still buzzing in Year 3, and we’ve had another full and exciting week of learning and new connections!

Last week, both of our Year 3 classes were lucky enough to visit Butterfield House. The students absolutely loved spending time with the younger children. It was heartwarming to see the smiles, laughter, and friendships forming. We’re already looking forward to welcoming our new friends to our classrooms for a visit soon.

In our Interdisciplinary Learning Unit ‘Heating Up’, we’ve been diving deeper into the fascinating world of solids, liquids and gases. Last week, students got hands-on in a fun and messy experiment making oobleck, a strange substance that behaves like both a solid and a liquid.

This week, we’ve turned our focus to heat sources, with 3J taking on the role of heat detectives and exploring the school to identify where heat comes from in our environment.

Year 4 – Exciting Discoveries and Learning!

This week at school was packed with exciting discoveries and learning! We explored mixed fractions and represented tenths in decimal form, deepening our understanding of number relationships. In literacy, we continued to build on our Latin and Greek base words, focusing on water-related roots like “hydr” and “aqua.”

In History, we compared life in ancient China’s countryside and bustling cities, giving us insight into the different lifestyles of the past. Our Christian Education studies were equally thought-provoking, as we worked on our Paul-folio pieces, reflecting on how Saul transformed into Paul.

In Science, we conducted experiments to test the magnetic pull through various materials, investigating the factors that influence its strength. It was exciting to see different outcomes and learn more about the forces at play.

Overall, it was a week full of exploration, learning, and memorable moments that helped us grow our understanding in many areas!

Surf Coast Students Speak Up: Debating Success in Leopold!

Over the past few weeks, the Year 5 and 6 students at Surf Coast have been busy developing their persuasive skills in the hopes of making it onto the Surf Coast Debating Team. With so many confident speakers and passionate applicants, the selection process was extremely competitive. After impressive auditions and passionate speeches, three strong teams were carefully selected.

Before stepping into the spotlight, the students spent time researching, writing arguments, and practising rebuttals. They explored a range of current topics, practised how to structure a persuasive speech, and even took part in mini classroom debates. With help from Mr Pink, students focused on speaking clearly, using strong evidence, and working as a team to build powerful arguments.

The big day arrived as Team 1 and Team 2 travelled to Leopold to represent Surf Coast in their first interschool debate. The topic was “Should transport be free?” and both teams delivered impressive, well-structured arguments—showing confidence, teamwork, and a clear understanding of the topic.

Thanks to all their preparation, Surf Coast walked away with two wins! Judges were impressed with their delivery and reasoning. A special congratulations to Maddie who was awarded Best Speaker for Team 1 and to Emily, who took home Best Speaker for Team 2.

The students should be incredibly proud of their dedication, teamwork, and courage. We can’t wait to see what they bring to the next round—good luck, debaters!

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.

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.