Surf Coast Term 3 Week 3

What’s Happening at Surf Coast?

Is 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 3 2023

Week 4

Monday 7 August                   Prep 100 days at school

Tuesday 8 August                   All College Choir performance evening – Choir Students

Wednesday 9 August             Responsible Pet Ownership – Incursion – Prep, Year 1 and Year 2

Wednesday 9 August             Discover Prep Week/session – 09.30am – 11am 2024 and 2025 students

Thursday 10 August               Lunchtime Concert – Selected Students

Friday 11 August                    Maths Day – Selected Year 5 students

Friday 11 August                    Assembly 2.45pm – 3.30pm – All Students

Our Nakamas From Naga!

On Tuesday, we had the honour of being visited by our nakamas (friends) from Naga High School in Japan. Our Preps were in awe of their dancing performances, especially the Mickey Mouse dance which was a crowd favourite! Our Preps were then lucky enough to spend some quality time with a small group of the Naga High School students in our classrooms. Despite the language barrier, our Preps made fast friends with the Naga and were able to connect through illustrating and discussing their favourite things to do at school, what they like to eat and their favourite colours. Although our Preps are in the first year of their school journey and the Naga students are in their final year, our Preps felt quite accomplished to realise that they had taught their Japanese friends some important things about our way of life…including what the words “candy” and “lollies” mean!

So Much Fun at Year 1 Camp!

At the start of this week, the Year 1s got to experience their first-ever school camp. What an incredible time they had partaking in a range of different activities, placing ginormous smiles on their faces. Students undertook beach activities, a low ropes course, orienteering tasks and even had a go at the flying fox! Many new friendships were made, and others blossomed further as they got to have fun in the sun trying new things.

Some of the highlights of the camp included the flying fox, trampolines, and tasty food. We are now very excited about our upcoming camps over the next few years!

Healthy Heroes – a Visit From a Star Cat

Last Monday the Year 3 and 4 students took part in the ‘Healthy Heroes’ Schools Program conducted by the AFL Geelong Cats.

Students welcomed facilitator Jess, and were excited to meet Cat’s player, Cam Guthrie.

Cam and Jess worked together to deliver an hour Health lesson, covering topics about physical activity, nutrition and hydration, screen time and wellbeing.

The students enjoyed asking Cam questions about his life as a footballer and learnt how important good nutrition, hydration and wellbeing were to his success.

Students received a healthy eating recipe booklet and Cam’s autograph as a keepsake.

Well done to all students for their behaviour and manners.

Cross Campus fun for Year 5

On Tuesday August 1, our Surfcoast Year 5 students spent the day at the Bellarine Campus, for a day of music and fun with our Year 5 friends there.

The day started with a big band. Each week Year 5s across the whole College take part in the Year 5 musical instrument program. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to get together and all play in a big band. It was amazing to watch it all come together.

This was followed by a visiting picture story book author. Kristine Fitzgerald is a local author, and it was wonderful to hear her discuss character and plot development with the students, especially as this term they will be publishing a picture story book of their own.

For the rest of the day, we had the chance to spend time with our Year 5 friends from the Bellarine Campus. There are connections and relationships being built between the two campuses, which is so important for our children. We played GaGa, practised our old-fashioned writing, did a scavenger hunt and had a sausage sizzle. Amazing memories and friendships!

Naga High School Visit

This week we had the privilege of welcoming students from Naga High School, our sister school in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Our connection with Naga High School now spans 31 years, but due to COVID travel restrictions, it has been four years since we have had students visit our campus.

We welcomed our guests with a whole school assembly and were treated to two musical performances from the Japanese students, a traditional fisherman’s song called ‘Soran’ and a Mickey Mouse themed number. After the assembly the Japanese students joined classrooms and enjoyed sharing in intercultural activities with our Surf Coast students, before spending time in the playground at recess together.

It was such a joy to see our students so excited to welcome, engage with and try out their Japanese language with the students. We look forward to Naga High School’s next visit in two years’ time.

Sing, Sing, Sing!

The Surf Coast Choral program is going strong! We now have over 60 students involved in our Lower Primary Choir (Years Prep – 3), with new members arriving weekly! This group rehearses on Wednesday mornings, 8.00 – 8.30am in the Multipurpose Room, followed by our Upper Primary Choir (Years 4-5) 8.30 – 9.05am in the Music Classroom.

The Upper Primary Choir enjoyed their first performance on Wednesday morning at the Naga High Welcome Service, with students singing a traditional Zulu piece, “Siyahamba”. They delivered an energetic rendition and engaged their audience well with terrific harmonies and contrasting parts.

Both choirs have been working hard to prepare a varied program for our Choral Evening, next Tuesday evening, 8 August. Please refer to EdSmart communication for venue details, times, uniform requirements and audience seating. It looks to be a terrific night with performances also from the Belmont JS Choir and special guests, the Senior Choir.

New members are always welcome. Please email k.notini@ccg.vic.edu.au to express interest for your child.

Piano Performance Day

On Thursday some of our older piano students traveled to the Senior School Music Department to participate in a day filled with fun – concerts, masterclasses, morning tea, seeing a piano being taken apart and learning its mechanics, and ensemble-playing on a large scale. We were also fortunate to see a beautiful performance from Adela Karol, who is a past student from CCG and now studies piano at Melbourne University. The students had many interesting questions for her! The highly regarded Ms Teresa Lavers visited from Melbourne to give students feedback on their performances and encourage students in their piano playing. Congratulations to everyone who attended and made it a very special day!

Camp Australia Newsletter

LEAD Parent Survey - Now Closing September 1

Each year, Christian College participates in the LEAD School Effectiveness Surveys conducted by Independent Schools Victoria (ISV). These surveys provide valuable insights into a school’s performance from the perspectives of students, staff and parents and are therefore an essential school improvement tool.

LEAD – Listen, Evaluate, Act, Deliver – succinctly describes the way in which this process enables our College community to grow and flourish through consultation with our valued stakeholders.

You will have received an email from ‘ISV Research Programs noreply@limesurvey.org’ inviting you to participate in the ISV LEAD Parent Survey. It includes a unique survey link that can only be used once and therefore cannot be shared or forwarded to others. Thank you to all parents who have completed the Parent Satisfaction Survey - we have received more than 300 responses to date. ISV has extended the deadline for survey responses - closing date is September 1. We invite any parents who have not yet participated to contribute your feedback via this year's survey. You are an integral part of our school community and your voice matters.

East Timor Trivia Night

Preparations are underway for our annual Trivia Night which raises much needed funds for the work we do in Viqueque, East Timor.

Money raised this year will help pay for a new roof for Uma Maun Alin – Friendship House – where some amazing staff and volunteers run kindergarten classes for local little ones and English classes for older children and teens.

Part of the night is a Silent Auction and we are asking CCG families for any donations.

Some donations made already, thanks to the hard work of some of our prefects, include: a signed Cats guernsey, personal training sessions, café vouchers, Geelong Lawn tennis memberships, tennis racquet and re-stringing voucher, a vet clinic voucher... and so much more!

If you are in a position to be able to donate something to this incredibly worthwhile cause please contact:

Surfcoast Campus: Claire Deretic

Junior School: Carla Dunlop

Highton Campus: Graham Barton

Bellarine Campus: Samantha Bett

Senior School: Lee Stringer

Discover Prep Week

During Discover Prep Week, August 7 – 11, three CCG campuses are offering interested parents, families and guardians the opportunity to get a firsthand view of Prep at Junior School-Belmont, Bellarine Campus and Surf Coast Campus. Our Prep programs are unparalleled and we invite anyone interested in enrolling children in Prep in 2024 and beyond, to come and visit, join a class, see our facilities, speak with teachers and campus leaders and have their questions answered. There are multiple opportunities at each of the three campuses to participate.

We would encourage our College community to spread the word about Discover Prep Week to anyone who is considering school choices for their children in 2024 and beyond.

All details, including booking information for sessions, can be found on our Discover Prep Week webpage – hit the hotlink on our homepage or click here to access it.

Scholarship Applications are Now Open!

Each year Christian College offers Academic Excellence Scholarships for entry at Year 5, 7 and 10 levels. Applications are now open for this year’s scholarships, which apply to entry in 2025, at three campuses – Middle School-Highton, Bellarine Campus and Surf Coast Campus.

Year 10 entry applies to Senior School-Waurn Ponds only.

To find out more, and to apply, visit our website and look for the homepage hotlink, or click here.

Scholarship applications are open to students who do not currently attend Christian College, as well as those who are currently enrolled here. Scholarship examinations will be held at Christian College on Saturday October 7. Closing date for applications is Thursday, September 28.

Foundation Golf Day 2023

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, we are delighted to announce the Christian College Foundation Golf Day tournament for 2023.

Save the date: Thursday November 9.

We are seeking prizes for this event – if you own a local business and are interested in creating partnership opportunities with Christian College, please contact Fiona Provan on 0400 477 467, or email f.provan@ccg.vic.edu.au