Surf Coast Term 4 Week 8

From the Executive Principal 

What an incredible week it has been! Our school community has been filled with joy, pride, and celebration as we have come together for awards ceremonies, graduations, and celebration events that highlight the achievements of our students. Next week, our last school week for 2025, is jam-packed too, with more graduation events at a couple of campuses, and of course our Community Carols event on Wednesday December 3. I am so looking forward to joining our College community at this event for what will be a wonderful festive celebration. It’s on from 5pm to 8pm, there is plenty for the whole family to enjoy, including loads of music and singing, food trucks, face painting, a visit from Santa, prizes for the best dressed in festive gear…something for everyone!

Back to this week…Christian College Geelong took over Costa Hall for a whole week for a glorious season of celebrations. Last Friday we had the Year 12 Graduation, one of the most significant milestones in a student’s life. It marks the culmination of 13 years of learning, growth, perseverance and achievement. This event is not just a farewell; it is a powerful moment of transition, where our graduates step confidently into the next chapter of their lives, equipped with knowledge, values, and the character traits to shape their future. We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and excited to see the incredible paths they will forge beyond our school gates.

What’s Happening at Surf Coast?                               

TERM 4, WEEK 9

Monday 1 December – Year 7/8 Connection Day, combined Highton, Bellarine & Surf Coast Campuses

Wednesday 3 December – CCG Christmas Carols, Highton Campus Grounds. All College families’ welcome.

Wednesday 3 December – Prep to Year 4 Carnival, at Surf Coast Campus

Wednesday 3 December – Year 5 -7 Adventure Park

Thursday 4 December – 2.30pm, Year 4 Graduation, Surf Coast Stadium

Friday 5 December – 9.30am, Prep to Year 7 Christmas Service, Surf Coast Stadium

Friday 5 December – End of Term 4, students dismissed at 2.30pm

2026 TERM 1, WEEK 1

Thursday 29 January – Students commence Term 1

Year 1 Celebrates Ancient Egypt Day!

Last week, Year 1 students participated in Ancient Egypt Day – a joyful, imaginative celebration of early civilisations and the people who lived in them.

Students arrived dressed as pharaohs, complete with shimmering collars and gold headpieces; mummies, wrapped in careful layers of cloth; and even characters inspired by neighbouring ancient cultures, including Mesopotamian kings, queens, and farmers. The variety of costumes showed just how engaged and enthusiastic the children have been during our exploration of early civilizations.

Year 1 Visits Scienceworks!

Our Year 1 students had an exciting and adventure-filled day on their recent trip to Scienceworks. The journey began with a cheerful bus ride into Melbourne.

Once inside Scienceworks, the children were thrilled to explore a wide range of hands-on science exhibits. They pushed, pulled, spun, built, and tested – all while learning how things move, how forces work, and how everyday science shapes the world around us. Their curiosity was on full display as they experimented with interactive stations and shared discoveries with friends and teachers.

A major highlight of the excursion was the Lightning Exhibition, which captivated students with crackling energy, booming sound, and eye-opening demonstrations. The experience brought weather science and electricity to life in a way that was both safe and spectacular – leaving many students wide-eyed and eager to learn more.

The day offered the perfect blend of fun, exploration, and discovery. Our Year 1 students returned to school tired but inspired, with plenty of new questions and stories to share. It was a fantastic excursion that sparked wonder and deepened their love of science!

Celebrating Young Voices: The 2025 Student Poetry Competition

Independent Schools Victoria’s annual Student Poetry Competition, part of its Arts Learning program, is now in its sixth year and continues to inspire creativity among students from Foundation to Year 12 across Victoria. This year’s theme, gratitude, encouraged students to reflect on appreciation and thankfulness. The response was outstanding: more than 1,300 poems were submitted—the highest number since the competition began in 2020. We are thrilled to announce that several of our talented Christian College students received

Honourable Mentions for their outstanding work:

• Waves – Primrose Baker, Year 5, Surf Coast Campus
• The Willawong Bay – Teddy Cross, Year 5, Highton Campus
• There Are No Winners in War – Zachary Davies, Year 9, Bellarine Campus

Each poem reflects a unique perspective and creative approach:

• Teddy’s piece draws inspiration from William Wordsworth’s classic I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (circa 1804–1807).

• Zachary’s work emerged from his Term 2 English studies on War Literature, offering a poignant commentary on conflict.

• Primrose’s poem captures the beauty and rhythm of our coastal environment.

Congratulations to these students for their remarkable achievements and to all participants for sharing their voices.

Year 6 Market Day

Last week, our Year 6 students hosted an amazing Market Day for Years 3 to 5, and it was a huge success! The school was full of excitement as stalls offered competitions, bracelets and icy poles, colourful tie-dyed T-shirts, homemade pillows and bags, and even 3D printed items, which were a big hit with everyone.

The creativity and effort from our Year 6 students were incredible. They planned, designed, and ran their stalls so well, and it was wonderful to see the younger students enjoying their hard work.

A big thank you to all our families for supporting the many events and activities happening in these last few weeks and for sending in items for our Reverse Advent Calendar. Your generosity and help in preparing for our upcoming events are very appreciated.

A Successful Year of Art Making

It has been a joy to foster and teach new art making skills with our students.  Fostering creativity is highly beneficial and supports learning in other subjects too.

Art encourages children to think critically and make decisions, which are essential skills for cognitive development. When our students plan and their art and make projects, they learn to solve problems and think creatively. This process helps improve memory retention and decision-making abilities.

Fine motor skills

Creating art involves using hands and fingers, which can assist students develop fine motor skills. Activities like drawing, painting, and sculpting enhance hand-eye coordination and dexterity. These skills are important for everyday tasks such as writing.

Language development

Discussing their artwork or the art of others helps students expand their vocabulary and improve communication skills. By describing and appreciating their creations, they learn new words and enhance their descriptive abilities. This experience also encourages better listening and speaking skills.

Semester Reports – Available Wednesday, December 10 

I am pleased to let you know that Semester 2 Reports will be available on Wednesday December 10 via Compass. 

Our move to Compass has allowed us to enhance not only the structure of our reporting but also the overall look and feel of the reports. As part of this redesign, we have made several aesthetic improvements to ensure the reports are clearer, easier to navigate, and more visually engaging. These updates have been guided by the valuable parent feedback gathered last term, with families highlighting the importance of personalised and authentic reporting, clear and consistent ratings, actionable next steps and a balanced focus on both academic and wellbeing information. 

Instructions on how to access your child’s report via Compass will be provided in the week the reports are released. 

We trust these enhancements provide a clearer and more meaningful picture of your child’s learning and development this semester. 

Community Carols – Join us for a Christmas Celebration!

We are excited and looking forward to a fantastic evening where the College community, and members of the wider community will come together to celebrate this season of joy. Our Community Carols event is happening on Wednesday December 3 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, at the Middle School-Highton campus, 18 Burdekin Road.

We invite you to bring the whole family, and some friends, your best voice, pack some outdoor chairs and a picnic rug or two and join us for a fun evening of music, carol-singing led by our student and staff ensembles, and lots more.

What’s on:

• Food trucks will be available for dinner
• Programs featuring carol lyrics (a gold coin donation would be appreciated)
• Raffle prizes to be won
• Face painting
• Santa will pay a visit
• Prizes for best dressed – so come in your festive gear!

All funds raised will go to the CCG Foundation, supporting important initiatives across our College community.

Hampers That Celebrate Local & Support CCG Foundation

If you're looking for a thoughtful and delicious gift idea this festive season, we invite you to consider ordering a Geelong Gourmet Goodies Hamper through Kardinia Rotary. 

These beautifully presented hampers feature locally sourced gourmet treats and come in three sizes — $125, $85, and $60 — with free delivery within 50km of Geelong CBD.  

They make perfect gifts for friends, family, staff, or clients, while also supporting local businesses and community projects. 

Here’s how your purchase can make a difference: 

• For every hamper ordered that references Christian College Geelong or Christian College Geelong Foundation, $5 will be donated to the Foundation. 

• Even better — this donation will be dollar matched by an anonymous donor, doubling the impact of your support! 

Funds raised will go directly to the Christian College Geelong Foundation – Public Ancillary Fund, supporting initiatives that transform lives through education. 

Community Prayer Group

Our community prayer group runs on a Wednesday, from 3pm until pickup at 3:25pm, and all community members are welcome. If you join us, please ensure you sign in at reception (on the left-hand side of the main office).

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about prayer or our prayer groups.

Geelong Summer Music Camp Jan 11 -16, 2026

A Day Camp for Music Students aged 10 – 21 years

Christian College Geelong is proud to once again be hosting the Geelong Summer Music Camp at the Senior Campus in January 2026. The GSMC committee are excited to have registrations now open for the January 2026 Camp.

If you have a budding band, choir or string musician in your house, or you are involved in a school or community music program, please encourage students aged 10 – 21 years to consider attending.

The camp highlights:
The GSMC is a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive day camp. Students will play in a concert band, string orchestra, or sing in a choir throughout the week and then feature in a finale concert at Costa Hall.

Campers will also have the opportunity to choose an elective activity. The camp builds social time into its program where students are encouraged to connect with others, developing positive friendships and relationships with other campers and staff. Auditions at the start of the camp are designed as a time for the students to connect with the music tutors, but also allow the tutors to place students into the ensemble that best suits them, to set them up to have a rewarding week of growth and fun making music.

All Star Kids - December Holidays Extravaganza!

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.