Surf Coast Term 3 Week 4

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 3 2024

WEEK 5

Wednesday 14 August  Spring Creek Trip – Year 1

Wednesday 14 August   Prep Excursion to Back Creek Farm

Thursday 15 August       Lunchtime Concert – Selected Students

Thursday 15 August       Year 6 Food Studies & Swimming Program

Thursday 15 August       Year 5 Swimming Program

Friday 16 August           Assembly – All Welcome

Friday 16 August           Year 2 – Affirmation celebration

Celebrating 100 Days of Prep!

Our Prep students recently celebrated a significant milestone – 100 days of school! The day was filled with excitement, creativity, and lots of fun activities that made it truly memorable.

We kicked off the celebrations with a parade of our 100-year-old dress-ups, including a special cameo performance from the wonderful Nonna Riddle! Following the parade, we had a dance party where the students showed off their best grandma and grandpa moves. The energy was infectious, and everyone had a blast!

Next, we gathered to read a special story about 100 days of school. The story highlighted the journey and achievements of the students over the past 100 days, making them feel proud of how far they’ve come.

The creativity flourished as the students made their very own 100-day crowns. Each crown was proudly worn by the students throughout the day. We also took some time to think forward to the future by writing about being 100 years old. The students’ imaginative responses ranged from humorous to heartwarming, giving us a glimpse into their dreams and aspirations of what life might be like once they are 100. The Preps illustrated an accompanying portrait of themselves, which were just gorgeous!

We were fortunate to have some Year 12 prefects join us for the celebrations. Their presence added an extra layer of excitement and support, helping the Prep students with the activities and ensuring everyone had a fantastic time.

Overall, our 100 Days of Prep celebration was a huge success, filled with joy, laughter, and a sense of accomplishment. Congratulations Preps!

Discovery and Learning in Year 1

This past week in Year 1 has been filled with exciting discoveries and valuable learning experiences. Our focus on multiplication and division has enabled students to develop stronger mathematical skills and strategies. They have been working by themselves and in teams building and increasing confidence in handling numbers. It has been wonderful to see their progress.

In our Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) subject, we’ve delved into the fascinating world of push and pull forces. Students have been actively identifying these forces in various everyday objects and discussing how they impact and assist us in our daily lives. This hands-on approach not only enriches their scientific understanding but also sparks curiosity and critical thinking. It’s been a joy to witness their enthusiasm for learning and their ability to apply new concepts.

Designing with Natural Materials

Year 2s have designed and created some amazing tools in their Interdisciplinary Learning unit, ‘Materials and Their Purpose’. They designed a utensil or kitchen tool to be made from natural materials and gathered the resources needed.

The students pondered the purpose of their utensil, and which materials would best fill the purpose. After analysing the properties and uses of different materials, they decided on the best way to make their tool. During the process, if things didn’t go as planned, some students changed their designs to suit the materials.

After instructions on how to make strong joins with glue and dried grasses, the students made their kitchen tools out of natural materials such as bark, wood, sticks, reeds and leaves. In the end we had a collection of spoons, brooms, forks, BBQ spatulas, whisks, baskets and bowls – such clever constructions!

Lots on, Lots Ahead in Year 3

As the thrill of the Potato Olympics fades, the Year 3 students are now engrossed in preparations for the Science Expo. Students have commenced constructing models of their selected Australian birds, and research is progressing smoothly as they gather fascinating facts. With spring approaching, our campus has become a hub for the very birds under study, much to the students’ delight.

In the realm of literacy, the 3s are navigating the waters of the world’s most celebrated rivers and dipping their toes into the timeless classic ‘Wind in the Willows’, all while mastering the art of sentence construction.

Mathematics class is buzzing with multiplication and division as students confidently tackle problems using the 2s, 4s, and 8s times tables, not to mention the 5s and 10s.

Mid-term is approaching, with the excitement of Book Week, camp, and swimming lessons on the horizon. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming details. In the meantime, stay tuned to The Vine for the latest updates! Keep an eye out – you never know what might sprout up next!

Year 4s get Creative in Japanese

Last term, Year 4 students read The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Japanese. As part of that, they learned how to make Japanese sentences, and they created their own 3D artwork.  Some excellent work was done by:

Emerson McEwen – Saffioti

Such a beautiful Ohisama (sun)

Ivy Fraser and Darcy Reid

Great team work!

The Exciting Area of Measurement!

This week, our students have been actively engaged in hands-on learning in the exciting area of measurement, with a special focus on perimeter and area. Our classrooms have been buzzing with enthusiasm as students dive into these important concepts through interactive tasks and activities.

Understanding the perimeter and area of shapes is a fundamental skill in Mathematics. This week, our students have been learning how to calculate the perimeter—the distance around a shape—and the area—the amount of space inside a shape. These concepts are not only vital for their maths education but also practical in real-life scenarios.

To make learning both effective and enjoyable, we’ve incorporated a variety of hands-on tasks. Students have been using grid paper as a helpful tool to solve a range of different problems. By drawing shapes and counting squares, they have been able to visually grasp how perimeter and area work. This tactile approach helps reinforce their understanding and makes the learning process fun and engaging.

Making Connections in Year 5

As we get to the middle of Term 3, Year 5 has really hit their strides. Thursdays are a big day in our week. We have started our Swimming Program at the Middle School Highton Campus. Each week we travel to the pool there and do our swimming. We are joining the Year 5 students from the Bellarine Campus here. It is great to see the students interacting with their peers from one of the other Middle School campuses. With the Olympics in full swing, it’s the perfect time to be in the pool and working on our swimming. As well as this, Thursday is an exciting day because we also get to swap our Pen Pal letters with students in Year 5 at the Highton Campus. This has been a great activity for the students to get to know each other, without a screen and learning the art of letter writing.

The friendships and connections being made between all three Year 5 campuses is very exciting.

Celebrating our Teachers as Lifelong Learners

The Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) is a year-long professional learning program for highly skilled teachers, supporting and challenging them to become even better teachers. Between 2022 and 2024 we have had 10 teachers leading the way among Victorian teachers in this groundbreaking education initiative.

Program overview:

Through the program, teachers analyse their teaching practice to deepen their pedagogical knowledge in their chosen discipline. They access contemporary, evidence-informed research and apply this learning to their students’ learning needs through a practitioner inquiry approach. Through an independent and second collaborative inquiry, they expand their knowledge, capability and confidence to teach even more effectively in their context. Throughout the year, teachers reflect on their teacher identity, develop expertise in learning dispositions and reflect on the growth of themselves as learners. Supported by a team of Master Teachers-in-Residence, the TEP teachers engage with national and international expert educators in a diverse range of learning events and activities.

The TEP is open to highly skilled teachers with a minimum of  three years’ teaching experience from the Government, Independent and Catholic sectors, and across all classroom settings.

A Special Musical Event – Save the Date

CCG Music is hosting a recital by renowned Australian pianist Andrea Lam. Pronounced a “real talent” by the Wall Street Journal, Andrea performs with leading orchestras and conductors across Asia, Australasia and the USA including the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the major Australian symphony orchestras.

On Thursday evening August 22, following a masterclass and workshop with our senior pianists Andrea Lam will perform a public recital at the R.W. Gibson Centre for Music Performance.

Andrea’s upcoming album release  ‘Sad Piano’, solo piano works by Matthew Hindson AM is due for 2024 release on Idiom records (UK). You can discover more about Andrea’s work here.  

Matthew is one of the most-performed and most-commissioned composers in the world, and a leading Australian composer of his generation. As well as being performed by every Australian orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic among many others, Matthew’s music has been set by dance companies such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, the Queensland Ballet, and the Sydney Dance Company. Matthew is the Deputy Dean and Associate Dean (Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. More information about Matthew is available here.  

A Christian College parent, Matthew will also attend the recital on August 22.

All are invited to this special event – tickets are $40; $30 conc.; $10 student. Visit this Try Booking page to get your tickets!

Seeking Support for Work Placements

Students studying the VCE Vocational Major (VM) are timetabled to work with an employer related to their VET course all day on Fridays. This is called Structured Workplace Learning (SWL). There are some prefilled forms to sign and there is a minimal cost of $5.00 a day to the employer. We are seeking workplace opportunities in the Plumbing, Building and Electrical trades. If you or someone you know are willing to help these students, to get a start in their chosen careers please contact myself k.fearnsides@ccg.vic.edu.au or Mary Higgins m.higgins@ccg.vic.edu.au  at Senior Campus. Thank you in anticipation of some support.

Scholarship Applications Now Open!

Scholarship applications for Year 5, 7 and 10 entry to Christian College in 2026 are now open. You can access all the information you need, and apply, by visiting our website. There is a hotlink at the top of our homepage that takes you there, or just click here.

The scholarship testing date is Saturday October 12 and all applications must be received no later than close of business on Thursday October 3.

National Collection of Data on Students With a Disability

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). With data collected on the first Friday in August (August 5 this year), the NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability.

These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD Guidelines.

Please see the attached NCCD Fact Sheet for more information.

NCCD Parent Fact Sheet

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!