In Focus Semester 1 2020

SEMESTER ONE / 2020 ’ rs e tt a M t a Th g in rn a e ‘Th e L

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to In Focus for Semester 1 2020. There have been some changes to In Focus this year in terms of content and format. It is my hope that you find it an interesting and engaging publication where we have the opportunity to tell some of the great stories of Christian College that reflect the commitment to our values in delivering The Learning That Matters - lifelong learning that encourages excellence, honesty and integrity in every aspect of a student’s life.

We want to emphasise a theme in each of our In Focus editions. Fittingly this semester, our theme is ‘Connectedness’ - which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is defined as “the state of being joined or linked” and “the feeling of belonging to or having affinity with a particular...group”.

Christian College celebrates 40 years in 2020 – a year like no other in history. Amidst the challenges on all fronts that everyone is experiencing, the connectedness of our College community is stronger than ever – something that is evident in each of the In Focus articles in this edition, and a testament to the resilience and positivity among the wonderful diversity of people within our community.

Simon Garner

Marketing & Publications

Cover photo - Kate Notini conducting the All-College Campuses Combined Choir at the 40th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration in March this year.

2000+ STUDENTS 2 KINDERS 5 CAMPUSES

One Connected Community!

atters’ ‘Th e Learning Th at M christiancollege.vic.edu.au

CONTENTS

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18

43

From The Principal

Celebrating 40 Years

Surf Coast Campus Going up a Level

05

30

45

From The Vice-Principal

Meet the Dean of Christian Culture

Indonesian - Making Global Connections

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34

53

Graduates of 2019

Teaching & Learning in a COVID World

The Two of Us

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40

54

Where are They now?

Learning Connections in the Early Years

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The Foundation Clock Tower Appeal

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL No-one expected 2020 to be like this Once upon a time… in September 2019 (that seems like a long time ago, when you could actually travel to Western Australia!) I attended an AHISA Principal’s Conference in Perth where I hoped that I might be inspired by the presenters to set a theme or focus that would capture and engage our community for 2020.

As it was, the range of speakers were all engaging, and I came away with lots to muse on and to frame as part of my thinking for the new school year. However, there was one standout speaker that I really felt resonated with our College ethos and our strategic direction. This was Dr Jordan Nguyen a Vietnamese-Australian biomedical engineer and inventor whose achievements include creating a mind-controlled wheelchair, one of his many inventions where technological innovations are targeted at improving the lives of those living with physical disabilities.

Jordan’s message for young people is to seek to find meaning for their lives through using learning and skills to find a purpose that supports and helps others.

I thought this was a perfect fit for our College to present to our students as part of our focus upon ‘The Learning That Matters’, though ‘Good Work” that is excellent, ethical and engaging. So, I planned to book Jordan as our keynote speaker for the 2020 Staff Conference and decided that we would offer some of our students an opportunity to attend.

As the date approached and I spoke with Jordan about what he might prepare to share with our community, I was becoming more and more excited about this wonderful opportunity for us to host such an inspiring and engaging presenter.

Until…on the eve of his visit I had a call from Jordan and his management team to inform me that he had just returned from spending January in China filming a documentary, and to ask if we had any concerns about him coming as a result of the Covid -19 Novel Coronavirus.

I consulted with our Vice Principal and decided to cancel Jordan’s visit, ‘just to be on the safe side’. We had no idea then of the journey that was to follow.

Dr Jordan Nguyen

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Principal’s Virtual Assembly Message - Glen McKeeman reading ‘’What do you do With a Problem?’ written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom

Suddenly, life changed In the time that has passed since that day, much has occurred that I never imagined a Principal, our leadership team, our teaching and professional staff, our students and their families or our College Board and Executive team, would ever have to deal with.

An overseas trip to Vietnam was an early casualty, as was the much-anticipated exchange visit from our friends at Negeri 2 Mataram in Lombok, Indonesia. Soon after, the decision to postpone the Music Tour to Brisbane disappointed almost 100 students and staff who were anxiously awaited the verdict. Not long after trips to Central Australia, along with all other planned camps and excursions, had to be postponed or cancelled because of the first outbreak of COVID-19 impacting schools in Melbourne.

This was a mammoth effort that required enormous preparation, planning and hours of professional development from teaching staff, our ICT team and the respective leaders of the teaching and learning areas across the College from Early Childhood Education through to Year 12.

Media hype and confusing information from government and health agencies made the final few weeks of Term 1 difficult to manage. Opinion was divided on whether schools should close or remain open with onsite learning.

Eventually the position became clear and our College rapidly transitioned to prepare to support our students and families with Continuous Learning @ Home via online platforms.

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Strategies for different times A verse that I particularly found uplifting and relevant was from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version), which states:

“

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

“

The COVID-19 journey has required robust and sound leadership strategies from our College Board, Executive team, managers and leaders of all departments. The uncertainty that our College families were facing due to the economic impact of this virus and the need to isolate, was something very new to us all.

It became vitally important to me that as part of our strategic operations during this challenging time, our College takes every effort and opportunity to stay connected with our community. New, innovative and engaging ways to keep all of our community connected emerged through social media posts, online screening of competitions, challenges, funny videos and a few mindful reflections. It reminded us how much there is to appreciate being part of a bigger community.

Meeting challenges with love, patience and calm

It was also important to me that our Christian faith remained at the forefront of this connectedness, giving us an opportunity to hear what God was sharing with us during this disruption and those quieter times in isolation.

Our year so far has not been easy. We were saddened by the tragic accident that took the life of Geordie Jenkinson and the recent number of sad and tragic deaths of young people to suicide and other causes have been widely felt throughout our community.

I found this particularly to be the case for my own faith journey. Being forced to stay home to work and perhaps look at my role and our community through a different lens allowed me to really identify the things that matter the most in my life. God was there during the Coronavirus isolation period leading me along the unknown pathway ahead of me. I learned to be patient and to trust His plan and to lean on Him for wisdom and discernment. His word provided much solace and guidance as well as some inspiration to share with our community through my weekly Vine articles.

During the weeks since we returned to onsite learning, I have sensed a real measure of love, patience, and calm.

I see this as a sign that time away from onsite learning has brought a new perspective about the important role that teachers and schools play in the lives of young people.

The story of 2020 is one that ends as it began. I was seeking to find a focus that would inspire and engage our learning community for the year and God in His wisdom has provided this. Whilst 2020 has been challenging and difficult, it has also provided us with time to see the real value of life and those things that matter to us most - our families, friends, our health and our relationships with each other, and to see God’s faithfulness, promises and assurances to His people.

As we continue the journey ahead and hopefully begin to emerge from the COVID-19 period, I continue to seek God’s blessing for our community as we support each other to provide the very best for our students.

We have each played a vital role in this story. It will be one that each of us will remember as a significant chapter in our lives. I pray that God is part of each of our stories beyond this chapter that brings all of us an everlasting life filled with His love and peace.

Glen McKeeman Principal

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FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL THE COVID-19 EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AT CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

Some things lost ‌ but much to be gained!

I have to commence by sharing a personal reflection that Term 2 2020 has been the most challenging I have encountered in my 26 years involved in education. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our communities and world with multiple layers of complexity – personally, socially, financially, emotionally, educationally, and even spiritually. However, I believe there is much we can all learn from our experiences of the pandemic, and I offer the following reflections on how this period, especially through Continuous Learning @ Home (CL@H), may have refined our educational practices to allow us to more effectively serve our students and families at Christian College.

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FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL

In particular, the emphasis we place on the development of ‘future skills and competencies’ have been thrust to the fore. For some time now we have been advocating for core and specialist learning, that embraces and embeds the Christian College Global Competencies – bringing a focus to the skills and attributes future employers will be seeking in our young people. Things like collaboration, an ability to self-direct, to solve problems using critical and creative thinking, competence in the use of various IT platforms, being skillful communicators and understanding our global connectedness, to name just a few. The period of CL@H not only heightened the focus on the use and development of such competencies, but also expediated the personal and professional growth of students and staff, with an immediate need for upskilling to facilitate these essential elements for teaching and learning. What an opportunity it provided for us to further progress authentic growth and application of the Christian College Strategic Goals, especially in ‘Building the Capacity to Learn’ of our students and for our staff to professionally develop as ‘Quality Effective Teachers’.

It is our aim to harness the benefits, both educational and personal, we all experienced during ‘lockdown’ and CL@H. I believe it will take some time for us to digest, reflect and review with clarity, however, early anecdotal evidence from staff and students is already supporting a range of educational elements and benefits that may be here to stay.

STUDENTS

Whilst most students have commented that they missed the face-to-face elements and personal connection with their teachers, and the social elements of their peer group, many have shared anecdotal stories, personal experiences and benefits through CL@H. I have tried to summarise below just some of the key themes emerging that we are trying to maintain and/or replicate in our onsite learning environment.

• Learning and gaining efficiency from new IT platforms – Storypark, ClassDoJo and Microsoft Teams all allowed for the effective and efficient delivery and receival of student learning tasks. This assisted in making the learning visible for both teachers and families at home.

• CL@H challenged our young people to solve a raft of unprecedented challenges, a skill many employers will be looking for as our business world becomes increasingly delivered online.

• Video conferencing was embraced (Years 5-12) allowing large and small group collaboration, along with a range of engaging student competitions and activities conducted online.

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• Student agency was enhanced and there was greater independence and decision-making in relation to ‘what to learn or study and when they wish to undertake the task’. This was relevant in the course of the day and across the week.

• Students enjoyed and appreciated being able to ‘organise their day’, with the freedom to take time to linger on a task, return to it later or move on to other priorities. Deeper learning was enhanced without the hustle and bustle of regular routines at school and at home. Organisational and timetabling benefits were also observed for students.

• A vast number of students shared that they appreciated Wellbeing Wednesday, a time to break from the usual demands and rigour of learning, to immerse in a passion project or an activity to support their physical and mental health.

• Negotiating the COVID-19 scenario on a global scale allowed our students to experience a ‘real life’ example of our interconnectedness, and appreciate that there are very few actions or issues that are isolated - we are all impacted in some way.

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FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL

TEACHING & PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT STAFF • Over 350 teaching and professional support staff had to quickly ‘upskill’ and ‘professionally develop’ in their use of the various IT platforms for the delivery of learning. Many staff have and will continue to use these platforms for the delivery and receival of learning tasks, for forums, meetings, narrating video clips and learning instructions.

• Cross-Campus collaboration and communication was enhanced using IT platforms.

• Teaching staff enjoyed setting up the learning at the start of each day, with an overview of essential learning for the day and week, allowing them to progress with offering students feedback and ‘in time’ assistance.

• Authentic group work and collaboration could be facilitated using the IT platforms, with meeting times made more efficient and productive.

• Many teaching staff appreciated the opportunity to partner with parents, especially in the junior years, to work together and share the experience and journey of learning.

The pause created through our school campus closures has created a rare opportunity to re-think the way we deliver teaching and learning for our students, allowing us to innovate, break the routines and reimagine an education that creates the very best learning opportunities for our young people. It is important that we harness this opportunity, foster student agency, and ensure we do not just fall comfortably back into the traditional model of ‘doing school’.

I would like to thank the students, staff, and families for partnering with us throughout Term 2 with flexibility, support and understanding. Whilst there have been many new and innovative practices uncovered, it has been a blessing to return to on-site learning to experience the ‘heart’ of the Christian College community and the relationships we all value and enjoy.

Scott Elliss Vice Principal

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2019

Christian College joins with the graduates of 2019 in celebrating the end of one significant part of their lifelong journey and entry into a new phase.

We congratulate every individual student and pay tribute to your work, and to that of your teachers – those in your final years, and those in the many important years of learning leading up to 2019. It has culminated in excellent VCE and VCAL results, of which we are immensely proud.

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PATHWAYS FOR ALL STUDENTS

“

The College celebrates every student’s gifts and talents, and achievement at all levels.

We are enormously proud of those who scored high into the 90s and the high level of application and effort behind those scores.

But while high ATAR numbers are significant for our College, so too are the many other individual stories of achievement and fulfilment that reflect our desire to develop pathways for all students, whatever their abilities, passions, career and life goals.

Principal

“

We want students to leave us with far more than just a score.

Glen McKeeman

HIGHLIGHTS There were three perfect scores of 50 earned in 2019:

186 students successfully completed their VCE (100%) All eight of our VCAL students were successful.

• Jack Gray / Business Management Dux was Xavier Dickenson with a score of 97.9

• Ashley Barrett / Further Mathematics • Madalyn Laria / Studio Art

The average ATAR in 2019 was 67.5 and in 2018 it was 69.5

11.2%

of our students received an ATAR above 90 (compares with 10% nationally) In 2018, 11.8% of our students received 90+

65.9

of our students received an ATAR above 60 (compares with 40% nationally) In 2018, 68.5% of our students received 60+

26.8%

of our students received an ATAR above 80 (compares with 20% nationally) In 2018, 29.9% of our students received 80+

82.1

of our students received an ATAR above 50 (compares with 50% nationally).

In 2018, 83.5 % of our students received 50+

45.8

of our students received an ATAR above 70 (compares with 30% nationally) In 2018, 55.1% of our students received 70+

%

%

%

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2019

Class of 2019

Congratulations to the 2019 Dux of Christian College, Xavier Dickenson who received an ATAR of 97.9 - we are very proud of Xavier’s hard work and outstanding effort. He is pictured here with Christian College Principal Mr Glen McKeeman at last year’s Graduation.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2019

2020 TERTIARY COURSE AREAS OFFERED

Agriculture

Health

Architecture & Building

Information Technology

Creative Arts

Management & Commerce

Education

Sciences

24%

1% 6%

2%

16%

15% 2%

14%

Engineering & Related Technologies

6%

Society & Culture

(Arts, Law, Psychology & International Studies)

14%

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? EDWARD FAIRLIE 2000 GRADUATE I attended Christian College between 1990 and 2000.

Some of my best memories are the many music camps and tours over the years. We were always a very tight-knit group in the music department, so getting to have fun with your friends and play music in interesting places was always a buzz. Highlights include a trip to Tasmania on the ferry, a three-week tour in the US, and Mr Smith’s heart-thumping games of “Crocodile” at the many Anglesea camps.

At school I loved Music but I also loved all the Humanities subjects and the teachers that taught them; Lit with Joan Dunstan, History with Syd Strauch and Psychology (as close as I dared go to a science) with Greg Hawkins are a few that stand out in my later years at school.

After graduating I completed a Bachelor of Music Improvisation from the Victorian College of the Arts (now Melbourne Uni) in 2003, going back for Honours in Composition 10 years later. Time not studying since leaving school has been spent teaching, performing, composing and arranging music in any way I could. I play trumpet, piano and sing, as well as write music for ensembles ranging from symphony orchestras to big bands and everything between, and I write and sing my own songs. I’ve sung backing vocals and played trumpet with Gotye, Julia Stone and with the vocal group the Idea of North. I’ve also dressed up as a banana, a bunch of grapes, a Christmas tree and a football in public.

In the last few years I’ve played in the pit orchestras for several shows that came to Melbourne including Aladdin, Evita, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was just starting a season playing with Orchestra Victoria for the Australian Ballet when COVID-19 hit and brought all live performances to a halt, which was really disappointing.

Since lockdown, however, I have written a musical with my housemate Brendan Tsui called Nuggetman, about a man made of chicken nuggets. It’s exactly as silly as it sounds, but we wrote the songs, orchestrated the score and filmed the show in three months and had a great time. The premiere was streamed online and had about 300 people watching live. The whole process was a wonderful distraction from the current state of things; it was oddly satisfying using skills we’ve developed over many years for such a frivolous purpose, but the feeling we got was that that was precisely what people liked about it, given current events.

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I’ve always got composing commissions on the go - I’m currently working on some music for a short animation, and will hopefully have a piece premiered by a chamber group made up of members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in the coming months, although changing restrictions make predicting these things a bit tricky.

What I enjoy most about what I do now is the variety. Of all the things I’m able to do for work as a musician, I don’t think I could do any one of them full time. I don’t have any idea what work I’ll be doing this time next year (or even next month at the moment), but I love that.

At Christian College the music education was first-rate.

Both Fiona Gardner and Andrew Dunlop have always worked extremely hard to give their students the best possible opportunities for growth. Their care, passion and imagination took a program with a handful of instrumental music staff and one band and made it one of the strongest programs in the state. I was given the opportunity to develop my musical interests in whatever way I wanted, which has enabled me to have a very diverse career.

Having taught at many different schools over the years, I have found that the level of pastoral care that staff have for students at Christian College is quite rare.

My enduring memories of school are of my favourite teachers being good people as well as good educators, so I try to live by the idea that how you treat people is as important, if not more so, than the work you produce.

Many of my close friends are former Christian College students and staff.

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ISABELLE MACADIE 2018 GRADUATE I graduated from Christian College in 2018.

Most predominantly, Christian College gave me an appreciation for travel and volunteering. I learnt the power of using my own privilege to create positive change, specifically through the Our World Central Australia and Vietnam trips. After graduating, I have taken with me lessons of compassion, understanding, cooperation and open-mindedness. These lessons have influenced the path I have taken in both my studies and outside life.

I am currently studying in Melbourne at Swinburne University, undertaking a Degree in Science. I’m majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Global Studies.

I originally studied a double degree of Science and Arts at Deakin University, but after a few technical issues and learning I actually preferred the science aspect of my course, I moved to Swinburne. I am now halfway through my second year and am hoping to complete my degree next year. After that, I am yet to decide if I will go on to complete my Honours or look for a job in a field of environmental science.

I always enjoyed both Biology and studying global politics during school, and by continuing to study in these fields, I have only deepened my appreciation and passion for both. As a part of my uni degree, I got the chance last year to volunteer in Zambia on a women’s empowerment program.

African Impact’s ‘Girl Impact’ program aims to encourage gender equality and women’s empowerment through several programs based in community schools, women’s groups and skill development groups. These programs are specifically orientated around making a positive impact in the lives of adolescent girls – giving them skills, support and inspirational guidance; supporting open discussions and helping to change attitudes surrounding the ‘conventional’ role of men and women; working with the local boys to introduce, educate and raise awareness on gender equality; and encouraging business skills and income generation ventures at women’s groups.

By participating in this program, I hoped to help girls and women find their own voices by uplifting and empowering them to make more informed choices. I also hoped to gain invaluable life experiences that would shift my world view into one that is more understanding, knowledgeable and inspired.

These experiences cannot be taught in the classroom but have to be lived. By being able to explore the world and delve into broader opportunities, I was able to grow and gain experiences I would otherwise not be able to.

I am very passionate about the state of the world we live in today, both politically and environmentally. Prevalent issues such as climate change, refugee debates, feminist movements, Black Lives Matter movements and others are great interests of mine and form a huge part of my studies at university. I hope to expand my understanding and perception of these issues so I can work in related fields after finishing my course. On top of studying, art remains a big part of my life, as it was during school. It is a hobby I have pursued for a long time and one of my greatest passions. I intend to continue to use it as an outlet for expression alongside my studies.

To current students I would say think about studying the subjects you are the most interested and passionate about, not necessarily the ones that will give you the highest ATAR. These are the subjects that will make your final year enjoyable, and your time at school a memorable one. More so, don’t be afraid to participate in school events and programs, as these will be some of the most prominent and positive memories you will take from your time at school.

My closest friends, even two years later, are my best friends from Christian College. Despite attending different universities and studying different degrees, we make many efforts to see each other and share our lives together.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

JULIAN GINN 2003 GRADUATE I attended Christian College between 2001 and 2003 for my final three years of secondary schooling.

Some of my best memories are Outdoor Ed camps when the weather was so poor, we had to sleep in the bus, the Deb Ball and learning how to dance, and playing elite level downball competitions at lunch time. Academically, I took a Maths and Science route in VCE but I also did Outdoor Education, which gave some good balance to my course.

Following graduation, I started at La Trobe university studying Arts/Health Science and thinking I would like to work in public health. After six months, I started reconsidering my options and used the subjects as credit for another course. I ventured over to the UK and Europe during the summer break and after seeing an advertisement for radiographers on the back of a double decker bus in London, I decided I’d give that a go. I changed courses and finished a degree in Medical Imaging at RMIT and returned to Geelong for my intern year and staying for five years.

Having always wanted to travel, I packed up and spent six months travelling through South America before arriving in London where I worked as a locum for a couple of years. London was an amazing base to see the rest of Europe on weekends and between jobs. Then I spent nine months backpacking my way home through Eastern Europe, Central America and the US.

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After returning to a job at Geelong Hospital, I lasted six months and took a job with Siemens Healthcare as an MRI Applications Specialist, which involves showing other radiographers how to use Siemens MRI scanners. This job involves plenty of travel across Australia and New Zealand. It’s also taken me to China a few times, and plenty of visits to Germany for training. It’s been a great way to see parts of the country I wouldn’t otherwise get to see and meet people along the way.

In terms of preparing me for a career journey, with Christian College offering a range of subjects for varied interests that helped me maintain motivation, and a caring ethos offered by the teaching staff and delivered on a relatable level, I felt well supported. But also, I think it’s always important to consider that you don’t need to know what your path will look like when you leave school.

I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up and look forward to what avenues will continue to present along the way.

I think the friends I made during my time at the College continue to shape who I am. We have travelled together, lived overseas together and continue to have regular catch ups. I didn’t start at Christian College until year 10 and managed to make a wide group of friends in those few years. The caring attitude at the school was invaluable to enable this. It’s always nice to run into teachers too and talk about old days.

I look forward to maintaining my enduring friendships from school as everyone starts to turn grey!

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

REBEKAH HINES 2011 GRADUATE I attended Christian College between 2004 (Year 5) and 2011 (Year 12).

Some of my best memories were representing the College both in sports in my younger years (netball), and then through many competitions and tours with the music department - being able to enjoy music among my peers whilst also travelling and building friendships. I still listen to some of our competition recordings and often I am surprised by the quality a bunch of teenagers could produce!

Early in secondary school I enjoyed Mathematics, Languages and Art. In senior school I mostly enjoyed Music and Chemistry, but also had a great time in ‘Our World’ studies for a semester.

Since graduating, I focused a lot on my studies initially to pursue my career as a veterinarian. This was a long, sometimes difficult, but often rewarding road that I am still navigating, especially in the current climate. Though my job takes a lot of time in my everyday life, I have also been blessed with great friendships from the residential college where I lived for university, including my now husband! I gratefully learned early on that work-life balance plays a huge role in how we navigate the world around us and I seek to ensure I am focusing on more than climbing the professional ladder. We have also spent many years as part of the City on a Hill church family, and love doing life with them and being able to contribute to the community around us.

Some of the things I enjoy about my current work as a veterinarian is the ability to teach pet owners about optimum care for their ‘fur-kids’, as well as being a part of a great team dedicated to high quality care for both human and animal welfare. I work in a very busy environment but try to focus on the little things as they come; alleviating suffering in an elderly patient, maintaining a good relationship with my stressed patients by gaining their trust calmly, distracting the puppy so it doesn’t feel its first vaccination, etc. The veterinary industry has its problems (a focus on mental health was undertaken recently by SBS’ Insight program), but we try to remember the reasons we got into this work, which undoubtedly comes from our love of all creatures great and small; no matter how much they may not thank us in return!

Skills learned through studying various subjects at Christian College aided me greatly at university, especially time management and maintaining a strong work ethic.

On top of this, the extra-curricular activities I engaged in gave me passions and interests outside of my primary career. I have maintained aspects of daily life at College (such as devotions and worship services) in my own everyday activities. I am also grateful that despite being the youngest of four and the daughter of Mr Wayne Hines who was Head of Middle School Campus when I was there, I never felt under pressure or a weight of expectation surrounding me. Christian College did an exemplary job of ensuring my studies, my relationships and my interests were catered for regardless of who I was. I pray that this attitude is ongoing in the life of the College and that many more students have the chance to enjoy as many life experiences as I did in my time.

I had great opportunities through my time at Christian College to develop maturity and be accountable for my personal actions whilst representing the College, and these things have transferred to my career, church and personal relationships. Sometimes the skills you develop through a well-maintained school uniform, studies in Religion and Ethics and adhering to a daily schedule are not so obvious at the time, but definitely worthwhile having ingrained in your adult life!

I have maintained a few close friendships from my time at school and have had time to catch up with teachers and mentors periodically, particularly in the Music department, to support their ongoing contribution to the current student group. Having a few family members, and members of City on a Hill, working at the school also helps me keep up with College life.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

XUELIN TEO 1998 GRADUATE I attended Christian College between 1994 (Year 8) and 1998 (Year 12). I had recently moved to Australia with my family. In what could have been a challenging transitional period, my siblings and I were warmly welcomed and accepted by students and teachers alike. That has had long-lasting impacts, as we seek ways to contribute back to the local Geelong community.

Being a part of the Christian College community has equipped me with the academic and personal skills necessary to succeed in my career and life. It wasn’t just the excellence in teaching the nuts and bolts of language, maths, science and other subjects. It was the way in which teachers encouraged students to be the very best they can be in every aspect of life.

After graduating, I studied Law and Science (Psychology) at the Australian National University in Canberra as a National Undergraduate Scholar (attaining this scholarship reflected the quality of education I received from Christian College).

Whilst at university, I worked as a paralegal at law firms. That’s when legal theories were brought to life, as the opportunity to help clients manage and resolve their legal problems became real. I loved it and have now spent almost 20 years in legal practice, initially as a solicitor with a national law firm (Clayton Utz) in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, then as a barrister at the Victorian Bar with chambers in Melbourne.

Twin sisters Xuelin and Ailin Teo graduated in 1998, a year when Xuelin was College Captain. Both have enjoyed very successful careers since finishing at Christian College 22 years ago – Xuelin in law and Ailin in dentistry.

Given my profession, having been taught by English teachers at Christian College who were exacting and invested time in harnessing my language skills has stood me in good stead. Starting each day with prayer, gathering together at assemblies to celebrate one another’s successes, having a motto of ‘Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness’, helped shape my perspective on and approach to life even after leaving school.

Christian College provided a solid foundation for me to build upon over time.

To current students I would say whatever you do, treat people well and enjoy the journey. Everything we do has an impact on others. Let it be positive.

I am passionate about resolving commercial disputes – through litigation and/or negotiation. My clients are generally corporations and government agencies. When engaged to act in “bet the company” litigation, the stakes are high. So is government litigation which can have far-reaching consequences for parts of the Australian community. The excitement and challenge of navigating each dispute will see me in the profession for many more years to come.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

AILIN TEO 1998 GRADUATE Ailin Teo I attended Christian College between 1994 and 1998.

We were warmly welcomed to the school community, encouraged to excel and well-supported in our endeavours. My favourite subjects were Maths and the Sciences.

I am a dentist at Ailin Teo Dental Surgery, a boutique dental practice based in the heart of Geelong that I set up in 2008. After graduation, I completed a Bachelor of Dental Science at the University of Melbourne (class of 2003) and then spent some years in practice in another dental surgery in Geelong.

Being educated at Christian College equipped me with some foundational knowledge. I remember with fondness teachers who taught with genuine care, love and humility, and hoping that one day I could reflect those characteristics toward others. I now have the privilege not only of serving the Geelong community, but also treating many former school mates and teachers as patients to help take care of their oral health.

I love being a dentist. I am passionate about making people feel comfortable and at ease when visiting the dentist. It is a pleasure being able to build relationships, getting to know patients over time, creating beautiful, healthy smiles, relieving patients of their discomfort and preventing dental disease.

In my spare time, I run and cycle around parts of Geelong – look out for a blue “mushroom head” around Geelong!

In the years ahead, I wish to be a good steward of opportunities presented, draw closer to our Lord, and continue to enjoy the journey of life, hopefully making wise decisions and ones that may glorify our Lord as we seek to serve Him and those whom He places in our lives.

It is a lifelong journey, and I am grateful to have attended Christian College, which has played an integral part in encouraging me to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, being of service with care, love and excellence…and the journey continues.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

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From a small, parent-controlled Christian school operating out of rented rooms in a wing of St Augustine’s Orphanage in Highton to one of the largest independent colleges in Victoria with enrolments in excess of 2000 students across five campuses, the Christian College journey has been remarkable.

We are making a point of celebrating our 40-year milestone in various ways, although the COVID pandemic has meant original plans have required some amendment. On the weekend of March 13 to 15 we were fortunate that both the Gala Dinner and Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration were able to proceed, just before restrictions that would have prohibited those events came into place.

On the Friday night, more than 400 former students, staff and families, together with current staff and other members of the College community, gathered at The Pier in Geelong and enjoyed a fantastic night of dining, entertainment and dancing. Ex-students Donna King, Ed Harcourt and Chris Tonkin, together with current Year 7 student, Ava McInnes, each treated us to a magnificent solo performance, before another ex-student, Andrew Pobjoy, led a super-group of musos who played songs spanning four decades, which kept the dance floor well occupied all night.

On the Sunday of the same weekend, several hundred gathered at our Middle School Campus in Highton for a service to thank the many individuals and groups who have supported the College in its first 40 years. Highlights included a brass fanfare composed for the occasion, and a special arrangement of the College hymn, by ex-student Edward Fairlie (see the ‘Where are They Now?’ section in this edition), the lighting of candles by former students, staff, parents, Board members, Heads of Campus, Chaplains and professional support staff, a message delivered by ex-student Mia Kafieris and commemorative tree presentations for each of the five campuses and Back Creek Farm in Scotsburn.

The entire story of the impact Christian College has had, and continues to have, on countless thousands of lives would take many lifetimes to tell. But it’s important they are told. Here, a group of people with profound individual, familial and inter-generational connections with Christian College across its four decades give an insight to their stories.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

VISION, LEADERSHIP,

a life’s work

Daryl Riddle OAM has been at Christian College for all but one of its 40 years, spending most of that time as principal, and currently serving as CEO. His vision, leadership and life’s work has driven the development of this College from a tiny independent school to one of the largest of its kind in the state.

Here, he shares some of the early history of the life of the College, some highlights of his involvement and goes to the very core of why it has grown to be such a strong and highly regarded part of Geelong and Victoria’s educational landscape.

Early days - setting the foundation Christian College Geelong began in 1980 as a ParentControlled Christian School. The initial Board of Directorship included parents wishing to provide a more Christian values-based educational program for their children. In late 1979, the new College Board gained Provisional State Registration. The school opened in 1980 with about 60 children ranging from Prep to Year 9, operating from rented space at St Augustine’s Orphanage, (now our Middle School – Highton campus), consisting of four classrooms and some office space.

In 1985, we rewrote our company articles to offer the mainline churches an opportunity to partner in the governance of our College. We were very fortunate to have the Anglican, Uniting Church, Salvation Army and Baptist Churches join us. With this balance in governance secured, greater diversity in skills and expertise provided a strategic and meaningful sense of stability, unity and direction for our College’s future development.

The College Board employed Mr John McGuire as their first Principal in 1980 who finished his tenure at the end of that same year. In 1981, Mr John Bibby and I were both appointed to the school. He was appointed to a Principal/ teaching role and I was a primary teacher and a Prep – Year 9 Music and Physical Education specialist. Mr Bibby resigned and I took on an Acting Principal/teacher role during 1982, returned to the classroom in 1983, then in 1984 was appointed Principal, a role which I occupied for 30 years.

Daryl Riddle, Acting Princ

ipal and Year 3, 4, 5, 6 teac

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her at Christian College in

1982

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020 A HANDFUL OF HIGHLIGHTS THAT HAVE SHAPED OUR STORY: Purchase of the St Augustine buildings In 1987 the Christian Brothers informed us of their intention to sell the buildings we were renting. At that time we had approximately 70 students and 50 families.

The story is complicated and miraculous! We were able to purchase these buildings with the help of our families and supporters.

Acquiring and opening new campuses between 1996 and 2000 – Junior School –Belmont (former Glastonbury Orphanage); Bellarine (former shire offices in Drysdale); Senior School – Waurn Ponds (former Geelong Grammar Junior School).

Development of the Rural Studies program at Back Creek Farm in Scotsburn – a working dairy farm where Year 9 students spend five weeks working at the farm, as well as Back Creek Café in Meredith, which is also a Christian College-owned enterprise.

Development of a thriving LOTE program over 34 years teaching Japanese and Indonesian, and the establishment of now long-running sister school relationships with Naga High School in Japan (30 years) and SMA Negeri 2 Mataram in Lombok Indonesia (25 years).

Four main attributes stand out: • Remaining true to our Christian calling and reflecting these values in everything we do as a school - hope, faith, love, grace, truth.

• We believe in servanthood: Jesus taught us to be unselfish, compassionate and “servant hearted”.

By emulating these traits, we can make a positive contribution and significant difference in the world.

• Education is about nurturing a student’s whole character and not just those areas of “educational process” the world suggests are the most important.

Our College’s philosophy speaks about all aspects of the person as being important and in balance.

• The provision of extensive, high-quality, diverse and inclusive educational programs. With strong provision of core academic areas, we also place huge emphasis on many other options and specialist areas including Music, Outdoor Education, Art Technology and Design, Drama, Christian Education, Project Care and Our World Studies. Specialist areas are taught from Prep through to VCE and VCAL.

“

Most important of all, in my 40th year of involvement, reflecting on what this College stands for what it has done, is doing and will always do, I cannot help but look into its heart.

“

Pathways for everyone’s journey All children have different pathways. God has a plan, a journey and a pathway for each of us and it is in the heart of great educators to nurture students, helping them to tease out, explore and discover their pathway. When they do, they will find fulfilment.

I have seen some of the most successful mums, dads, tradies, business people, dentists, doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, ministers of religion, professional musicians, actors, entertainers, elite sportspeople and a myriad of others come out of our College. They are all achieving great things in their own lives for their families, themselves and others. If they are happy, and fulfilled, doing good things and having a positive impact in their own worlds, we have been successful - and will continue to be so for the next 40 years and more.

Daryl Riddle OAM Chief Executive Officer

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

40 year reflections...

FIONA GARDNER Fiona Gardner has been teaching at Christian College since 1986. Back then she started what was a very small instrumental music program, and one which has now grown to be one of the biggest and best in the country.

An incredible community...

I started at CCG while studying at University in 1986, Daryl Riddle asked me if I would help him to get the music program started in the school. I started the instrumental music program with a few students, and it grew with the College. I encouraged students to play and be involved in music, started the school band and set about bringing other teachers to the school to teach the instruments that I couldn’t!

The school was a very different place in the 1980s and 90s. It operated in a few classrooms rented from St Augustine’s, there were fewer than 100 students when I started. The College had years Prep - 10 with students having to move to other schools for years 11 & 12...and everyone knew everyone! It was a very ‘close knit’ family environment and was an incredible community that nurtured its students, and while we had very little by way of fancy equipment, we were incredibly resourceful and thankful for the resources we had, and for each other.

We fundraised in order to build up our resources - over the years we had fetes, cabarets, chocolate drives, car washes, car boot sales…those events were so much fun and in themselves served to bring the community together.

During the 35 years of my teaching career the school has matured into the multi- campus, vibrant and dynamic learning community we see today. One which is a valuable and valued institution in the fabric of early learning, primary and secondary education in the Geelong Region. This has been God’s will and realised through the commitment and dedication of so many It has been a privilege to be in my position.

My career, the music program and the College have all been on incredible journeys. I was so fortunate as a young teacher to have the opportunity to start a music program and steer it in the direction that I thought would make it special…with my colleagues we have created the opportunities and traditions. My inspiration has come from the people I have met along the journey, the encouragement I’ve received and the incredible opportunities I have had. The richness of the community comes from the relationships that are nurtured. I have never felt that my place is anywhere else and I have always been encouraged to take on new challenges.

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So many highlights There have been so many significant events and occasions and when I reflect upon them, it’s the people I shared those experiences with who I remember with great fondness and appreciation. The College families and staff who I have had the privilege to work with over the past 35 years have made my career a rich and treasured blessing. From the amazing commitment and work of our Parent Support Group in the 80s and 90s who tirelessly supported the College (see photo), and the staff who were pioneers in the program…through to the amazing team of music educators and wonderful music families and community that we flourish in today, I am grateful and appreciative of everyone’s dedication and hard work.

Some significant things that have contributed to the College and music program growth include:• O ur regular concerts at school and in the community... remembering back to our first school band concert in the Highton Chapel…I think we played the theme music to Star Wars! We now have many concerts a year including the tradition of the whole College Music evening in Costa Hall.

• O ur Music Camp program...the first Music Camp in the late 80s was held in Anglesea. We now hold a Senior Music Camp and Middle School Music Camp each year with hundreds of students taking part.

• O ur first Music Tour to Tasmania in the early 90s was a wonderful adventure and since then we have toured all over Australia and to the West Coast of the USA, Hawaii, Hong Kong and China with students having played in amazing places such as on the Great Wall of China, the Sydney Opera House and Disneyland California.

• T he Colleges ensembles - students have won many awards and been recognised in many places for their great musicianship and friendship.

• O ur musical productions have been an amazing expression and celebration of our College community.

They have provided lifelong memories and significant performance experiences for students across the college with a considerable number going on to careers on the stage.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

Pride and inspiration We are extremely proud of our graduates, we literally have students all over the world making a tremendous contribution to the arts and their communities and this is one of the single most inspiring aspects of having had the privilege to serve in this College community for over 35 years. As well, I now also relish the moments where I find myself teaching the children of past students of mine!

We now look forward with great anticipation to the completion of the new Music Department facilities at the Senior Campus. The new spaces will provide our senior musicians and ensembles, with acoustically designed environments to support their pursuit of excellence and enjoyment of performance. Our 40th year celebrations as a College have also provided wonderful opportunities to celebrate our music including a new arrangement of our College Hymn ‘Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God’ commissioned by Principal, Glen McKeeman. The College ensembles look forward to featuring this at our end of year campus celebrations and music evening.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

MATT & MONICA MURNANE

A marriage made at Christian College Matt and Monica Murnane met at Christian College and completed their secondary schooling together in the same cohort. In Year 12 in 2003, they were named as the sportsman and sportswoman of the year, became a couple at the end of that year, and were married in 2013. Their eldest daughter, Paige, has attended Williams House Kindergarten this year and will begin in Prep at Junior School – Belmont in 2021.

A journalist for the first decade of his professional life, Matt is now working as a sports assistant at Christian College while he re-trains to become a teacher. Monica completed a Masters Degree in Public Health and works as a Program Leader in Mental Health for the Western Victoria Primary Health Network based in Geelong.

Years attending Christian College Matt 1998 – 2003 Monica 1995 – 2003

College’s impact on life beyond secondary school Matt I owe a lot to my time at Christian College. One of my old teachers, Mr Wes Cusworth, encouraged my passion for sports journalism and gave me lots of opportunities to begin my journey, writing about local sport. That eventually lead to a career in sports journalism, writing about AFL and Golf for The Age newspaper.

I decided to make a career change a few years ago and train to be a teacher, and I was immediately drawn to Christian College. It’s been a really positive experience and interesting to see how things have evolved in the 15 years between leaving and returning.

The facilities and the opportunities available to the students have obviously grown, however it’s great to see that the ‘feel’ of the College has endured. Most of the staff are different from when I was a student, but it’s remarkable to see that the culture of the College has stayed the same. That’s obviously a product of the leadership’s ability to articulate what makes the College such a special place, and also the willingness of the staff and students to buy into the vision.

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I probably never considered myself as having a strong faith while I was at school. But as I got older, I realised how important it was that the foundations for my faith were laid during my time at Christian College. So when I needed it during different times in my life, it’s been there.

And that’s something I want to pass on to our kids.

Monica I have always looked back at my schooling positively.

Through my time at Christian College I made some great groups of friends who I still catch up with regularly. Being able to build these lifelong friendships is something really special.

I also really enjoyed the opportunities provided to students to engage and challenge themselves in all sort of sports, physical and outdoor activities. I think these opportunities helped me further develop my enjoyment of being physically active, something I am now passing on to our kids. This also helped me to develop an interest in health and wellbeing and this led me into my career in the health industry.

The shared school experience We have a special connection because of the time we spent growing up together. Going through high school, there are so many unique experiences and challenges you face. Having gone on that journey together, there’s no doubt we share special memories that have brought us closer.

The majority of both of our friendship groups are friends we made at Christian College. We’ve also made other friendships of course, but the people we are closest to are still those with whom we share memories of our years at Christian College. This is a big reason why we decided to send our children there. The College has a focus on growing great people as well as great learners.

So, we think there is every chance that our children will also build lasting friendships with good people.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

Celebrating 40 years We believe the growth of the College over four decades is worth celebrating. To expand from one campus to five plus Back Creek Farm in 40 years is not only a testament to the leadership of the College, but also to the great teachers and staff they have nurtured along the way.

The College’s reputation continues to grow and that’s a product of the hard work and care that the teachers and staff have for their students and their profession.

The number of former students who continue to re-engage with the College - whether that be as staff members or in other capacities - and the number of former students who send their own children to the College is also testament to the positive impact the College has had on their lives.

The next generation We looked at lots of different schools for our eldest daughter – it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that we would send her to Christian College.

But in the end we couldn’t find another school that matched the all-round experience that Christian College offers - personal growth as well as academic growth.

On the academic side, we loved the concept of ‘The Learning That Matters’. The College understands that it’s not so much what you learn in terms of content, but how you learn it - and that those skills are transferable to a whole range of different life scenarios. In essence, the students learn ‘how’ to learn, rather than what to learn.

Also, were very taken by the music and sports programs offered.

We love the College’s emphasis on serving others and a sense of community. Students are exposed to experiences that make them think about other people, rather than just themselves.

On top of that, the pastoral care program is a great safety net to have as a parent. With mental health being such an important issue for young people, it is comforting to know that our daughter will be in an environment where the people around her are actively caring and investing in her growth as a person, not just as a learner.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

MERRIN WOOD A passion for the early years

A favourite story

Merrin Wood started working at Christian College in 1991. Still a much-loved teacher at Williams House Kindergarten, she has touched the lives of generations of children and loves nothing more than to see them grow and develop through school and beyond. One of her annual highlights is the 10-year reunion where she gets to catch up with ex-students she taught 25 years ago.

I will never forget a conversation I had with a precious little Prep girl at Bellarine Campus. She came up to me after school and said “Miss Wood…I have a problem.

My Mummy can’t tell me how to get my sister out of the womb.” I thought about it and gave her the basic details she needed about birth. Her shocked face said it all….She said “Errr…no….I mean my bedroom!”

Checking in during the journey

Way back when In 1991 I started working in the kindergarten at Christian College as a ‘new grad’. I felt so very young and was still on P plates. I used to take them off the car after arriving early because I didn’t want the parents to realise how young I was!

The whole school was at what is now the Middle School campus. I knew all of 50 staff by name and we only filled the first three rows of the Chapel at staff services.

The kindergarten was located in the north bay window.

We did circle games and story times in the semicircle of the window area. Our playground was located through a corridor where part of the library is now located and we would play in the quadrangle which was grassed back then, not paved. Our limited outdoor equipment (swings, buckets and spades and tricycles) were stored in one of the old confessional rooms off the Chapel. Four years later, we moved the kinder to its current location at Broughton Drive.

Feeling the love, sharing the love...

From Day 1 I was struck by the enfolding feeling of LOVE I sensed among the staff. I treasure the relationships I have developed with staff, students and their families over the years. Here we believe that these precious children are our next generation, so we want to share with them about God and show them the love He has for us, so that they can then go on and share that love with others.

I have a little scrap book at home, and I record little snippets of information I hear along the way about children I’ve taught. What I love so much is learning that they have grown up to be people of good character. It reassures me when they open up and say that during the tough times, they always come back to their faith. The 10-year reunions are something I really wouldn’t miss for the world….they just bring me so much joy as I look into the eyes of these precious humans and say their names!

I love to hear what they have done during their journey and what they are passionate about.

Where the strength lies after 40 years It is interesting now being a parent and hearing perspectives on the school from other parents.

Overwhelmingly they say that Christian College provides a balanced education for the whole person. Our Principal Glen McKeeman talks about the College providing “The Learning That Matters”. That learning embraces the five foundational values of faith, hope, love, grace and truth.

It is the nurturing, warm atmosphere when visiting the school, the opportunities, the follow up phone calls, the sense of belonging, and staff knowing many children’s names including those not in their class. Christian College staff are great at identifying and encouraging each child’s special skill or gift. When a child’s God-given gift is identified and nurtured, their self-confidence is enhanced.

...and the joy Highlights for me include the friendships I have developed with children, parents and staff.

Also when children who I taught years ago bring their children back! Joy in the special moments of wonder and discovery are always highlights for me too. It has been a joy sending my own daughter here to enjoy the opportunities this amazing kindergarten has to offer.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

THE HUMPHRIS FAMILY Two generations spanning 35 years

Sally

The Humphris family has seen two generations go through Christian College. Lee started here in just the fifth year of the College’s existence; his wife Sally has been on staff at Bellarine Campus for the past eight years; their son Oliver graduated in 2018, and his brothers, Hugh and Rupert, are current students at Senior Campus – Waurn Ponds.

I have had the privilege of being a staff member at CCG for eight years. I currently teach in the Learning Support department, teaching Mathematics and Literacy Intervention programs with some Learning Support coordination work as well.

Lee I attended Christian College from 1985 to 1992.

There were many highlights during those years.

The Outdoor Education program appealed to me – I remember canoieing on the Barwon River led by Mr Riddle...the finale to the experience was to paddle down the rapids from Buckley’s Falls, and needless to say we were all tipped out!

Hosting a Japanese exchange student and learning about Japanese culture from them was another highlight. The entire family really enjoyed their visit and sharing food and experiences from both our cultures is a lasting memory. More recently as a parent it’s been great to host again and seeing my kids similarly benefit. It led to a family holiday in Japan in July last year to see and experience more of Japanese life.

During my schooling I always leaned towards mathematics and sciences. I recall engaging physics practicals, and Bunsen burners in chemistry classes.

I went on to study engineering at University and eventually began a career as an engineer. Another great aspect of Christian College was having other fellow Christian students around – it meant that having an understanding of, and relationship with, God was considered normal and I was able to share my faith with others.

Taking part in the development of young minds through teaching and watching students grow throughout the year, is one of the most satisfying and joyous experiences of my life. Leading class devotions when I was teaching Prep at CCG is still a special highlight for me, being able to share knowledge of God’s love for each individual in my class was truly precious.

I’ve always found that the genuine collegial support and care makes CCG a wonderful place to work. However, the Christian faith and core College values of Hope, Faith, Grace, Love and Truth underpinning all of our endeavours are what truly make it a special place to work.

As everything that stems from these core values, ensures that the wellbeing of students and staff has a central focus. This, I believe, enables positive and caring student–teacher relationships to flourish, which ultimately creates a space where education can reach new potential.

My husband Lee recognises and understands our boys’ core experience of being a Christian College student, as it mirrors his own experience of the College. This is testament to the enduring focus of the school, that it is a school that provides positive pastoral care and consideration of students’ future development as world citizens. This speaks volumes and I believe it is due to the school remaining true to the core values throughout its 40 years. A truly amazing achievement!

It has been wonderful to see the school and the various programs from Outdoor Education, to Japanese and Music grow over the years, and especially to see that Christian faith, which was the founding premise of the College, has continued to be at the center of everything the school does.

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 1980 - 2020

Parental reflections on three boys attending Christian College All three of our boys are very different with different interests and Christian College has been able to nurture each with expertise and genuine care.

Musical experiences which teach not only musical skills but an understanding of teamwork and what hours of preparation can achieve, as well as other opportunities, such as all three being prefects at Bellarine Campus, Project Care days and other social learning experiences, have ensured that the boys are able to confidently speak in public and have a better understanding of their privileged position and how they can help others.

Most importantly for us as Christians, what we believe and how we interact with others at home, is respected and replicated at school.

Oliver, Hugh and Rupert Oliver started in 2010 and finished in 2018 and is now studying Engineering at Melbourne University.

Hugh started in 2009 in Year 1 and is currently in Year 12.

Rupert started in 2010 in Prep and is currently in Year 10.

Christian College – reflections on a special place Oliver Early morning milking in July at Back Creek Farm was cold and sometimes a challenging experience but amazing all at the same time.

Being present when a calf was born was a fantastic experience and one that I don’t think I will soon forget.

Contributing to the Music program and bands (Wind Symphony, Concert/Stage bands). It was an amazing privilege to perform in Hawaii and at the Melbourne recital center.

The trip to Japan was a huge highlight as well. I especially enjoyed staying with the host family and getting to understand more about Japanese culture and experiences.

Looking back on my Christian College experiences, I knew I was fortunate at the time, but now I realise even more what a special place it is, and I’ve made many lifelong friends. The community was inclusive and accepting of all students. Teachers were always caring, willing to help and go the extra mile. Great relationships with teachers helped me navigate my way towards studying at university.

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Oliver Humphris

Hugh Humphris

Rupert Humphris

Hugh A great experience was being around all the animals and working with them at Back Creek Farm, and I especially enjoyed being on the grill at the Meredith Cafe. Spending more time with friends and getting to know them in a team setting at the farm was terrific.

Hosting our Japanese exchange student Io was great experience as well. Learning more about Japanese culture and developing my Japanese language through getting to know him was really special. Also taking Io around parts of Victoria and watching him enjoy patting koalas and other Australian animals was a highlight.

The music program has also been a huge highlight, working with friends and teachers who share a passion for music to create performance pieces was a fantastic experience.

The teachers have always been really helpful at Christian College and you are treated as an adult at Senior School, which I really enjoy. Student/teacher relationships are really positive, caring and respectful in the understanding that we are all individuals. We’ve learned that God knows us as individuals and that he cares for us and that we can tell others about this.

I’ve always had a great group of friends throughout my time at the College, including some that I have known since Year 1.

Rupert Being a Project Care representative has been a highlight, understanding how I can make a difference in the world and helping organise Project Care days.

House group challenges and sports days have been great fun as well, working together as part of team Penman, and helping create team spirit.

Music camps and competitions at South Street in Ballarat have also been huge highlight – especially the mass MacDonald’s dinner for the entire bus on the way home!

The opportunities provided make school a great experience, such as the Outdoor Education programs, Project Care, Music ensembles and bands, making new friends and getting to know ‘old’ friends better whilst being a part of these groups, and having teachers that are helpful and make learning fun.

christiancollege.vic.edu.au

From Early Years to Prep and beyond...

A seamless transition

Junior School - Belmont Prep to Year 4

Surf Coast Campus Torquay Prep to Year 3 in 2021

Bellarine Campus Drysdale Prep to Year 9

A balance of pastoral care and exceptional core and specialist learning programs For information on enrolments at all levels enrolments, visit christiancollege.vic.edu.au/enrol/enrolment-procedure.html more Read ges on pa 40-44

atters’ ‘Th e Learning Th at M christiancollege.vic.edu.au

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MEET THE DEAN OF CHRISTIAN CULTURE

This year we welcomed a new member of the Christian College leadership team – Reverend Tim Edwards was appointed to the newly-created role of Dean of Christian Culture.

Tim has a long association with the College – he and wife Nicki’s two youngest children, Zach and Toby, completed Years 7 to 12 at Christian College, graduating in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

Tim sat on the Christian College Board for three years from 2017-2019, giving he and Nicki an ongoing connection with the College for the past decade. His parental perspective and Board background have been invaluable in taking on the new position.

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“As former parents and a former Board member you develop a level of understanding relating to the school, and now as a staff member another layer of perspective is added,” he said.

“From every vantage point I have occupied, this organisation in my eyes continues to uphold the truth of Scripture by demonstrating the love of God in word and in action.”

Tim has a remarkable background and many talents.

From a four-year stint singing with the Victoria State Opera, then working in arts administration, to his move into the ministry with work as a senior pastor and school chaplain, his resume seems ideally scripted for the new role at Christian College.

In this Q&A session, we set out to get to know him better as he expands on what being the Dean of Christian Culture involves, the journey that’s led him here, and a few personal insights into what makes Tim Edwards tick.

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We’ll start with what is obvious question... what does the Dean of Christian Culture do?

The Dean of Christian Culture (DOCC) is a newly-created role at Christian College, which is designed to bring leadership to the spiritual and cultural aspects of our school. The DOCC exists to work as a member of the College Executive Team, contributing to the decisionmaking and future planning of the College by ensuring that, as we move forward, we continue to stand firmly on the foundations of our Christian heritage. We were established forty years ago under the proclamation of Matthew 6:33 encouraging us to “Seek first The Kingdom of God”, and, even as we grow and change through the generations, we do not want to forget or ignore the core truth of our original DNA. Additionally, there are two areas of current focus for the DOCC – providing leadership to The Chaplaincy Team - seven Chaplains across five campuses - and to the Foundation Team, helping to further develop the reach and strength of The Christian College Geelong Foundation.

The Dean of Christian Culture isn’t a role that can be neatly defined in a job advertisement – what aspects of the position drew you to it?

I believe that God speaks to us and leads us, and if we are prepared to listen, obey and follow, many wonderful doors of opportunity will be opened. It is a long story, but many conversations, moments and confirmations over many months, led me to believe that God was calling me into this role. I have always held a love for schools in my heart, I have previously worked at three other independent schools in Victoria, and I have a longstanding connection to CCG which has now developed into genuine excitement regarding the future of this community. The best is yet to come!

Do you have a vision for the role? Take us forward five years and tell us what you want to have achieved by then.

My vision is to serve God by serving the College through this new role. The College has a vision, and my role is to assist in seeing that vision come to fruition. Our CEO is ultimately responsible for casting vision, and we are very blessed to be able to work as a team to confirm, qualify and action the vision in unity, which is the God-given strength in this process. We have a Board who govern, set direction and make policy decisions; an Executive Team who lead and oversee operations; and staff and volunteers who all contribute to the outworking of the vision.

Our mission as a school is to offer a balance of care and curriculum; in other words, we aim to provide an excellent education within an environment of Christian Faith – both aspects sharing equal weight and importance. Therefore, if in five years’ time we are regularly achieving this result in accordance with measurable outcomes, and all with an appropriate and affordable fee-structure in place for our families, then I will be smiling.

And half a year in as DOCC, what’s made the biggest impression?

Christian College is an extraordinary place. It is more than a school. It is a family. That sense of family has made a strong impression on me. I am excited to be a member of this family - a school community focused on living in accordance with our five stated values of Hope, Faith, Love, Grace and Truth.

What drove Tim Edwards the teenager – what were your interests and passions, and who were the main influences in your life?

I was born in Geelong and grew up in a loving, stable Christian home. In fact, as a family we never moved – I lived in the same house in Newtown from birth until leaving home. We were cared for, provided for, encouraged and given every opportunity to learn and grow. I realise that’s not an experience which all have been blessed to share, so I am exceptionally grateful to my parents for their love, support and mentoring. I give thanks to God for my Mum and Dad and for my siblings (an older brother, and a younger brother and sister) who were all part of a wonderful life growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in regional Australia. My Dad remains to this day the man I most love, admire and respect in the world.

As a teenager I was full of energy and determination – life was always full of adventure. My main interests and passions then were the same as they are now – family and friends, sport, music, theatre, church and community.

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MEET THE DEAN OF CHRISTIAN CULTURE

As you ventured out into a new world beyond school, where did that take you?

Did you have career aspirations?

I learned piano for four years from about the age of 10, but I put that aside because of a desire to sing. Several years of vocal lessons sharpened my focus on the possibility of a career on the stage, and as soon as I had completed Year 12 at Geelong College in 1988, I headed straight to England to take up a residential position as a Boarding House Assistant at Kings School Ely, just outside Cambridge. This allowed me to undertake vocal tuition with Edgar Fleet (English National Opera) who taught at St Catherine’s College at Cambridge University.

Returning to Australia, I attended the Opera Studio at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and was subsequently accepted into Victoria State Opera (VSO) as a twenty-year old. I sang with them for four years. Simultaneously, alongside two friends, I established a theatre company called Postcard Productions that specialised in producing outdoor and location theatre.

Effectively for 12 years between the ages of eighteen and thirty the arts industry was my world – as a performer, producer and administrator - although I knew I had been called into Christian ministry and was fully prepared to make that shift when the time came.

And where has the ministry taken you?

As 19 year-olds, my then-girlfriend Nicki - now my beautiful wife of 28 years - and I were prayed for after a church service by a visiting preacher who was the first to declare over us in a word of prophecy that God was calling us into ministry. This was later confirmed on multiple occasions. Our Pastor at that time was a wonderfully wise man who simply encouraged us to focus on Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”, to wait for God to speak clearly, and in the meantime to get on with doing what we had in front of us. So we did. I kept working in the arts industry, and Nicki and I married and started a family, all the while knowing that one day God would call, and we would answer.

The call came when I was the CEO of a regional performing arts centre in NSW, and Nicki and I were raising four children under the age of five!

We returned to Geelong in 2000 to plant a church with the Assemblies of God (AOG) and for me to begin the process of re-training as a

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Minister of Religion. By 2004, the church had grown to 500 people and seven staff, and I was fully ordained.

After 11 years as the Senior Pastor, I stepped away from church-based ministry and accepted the position of School Chaplain at Westbourne Grammar School for two years, before becoming the School Chaplain at The Geelong College for three years. In 2017 I returned to church-based ministry when I was appointed as The Senior Pastor of OneHope Baptist Church; a position I held until stepping into this new role at Christian College earlier this year.

Music is obviously a huge passion of yours – where did it start?

Music was always part of my life. I can recall literally sitting around the piano as a child, listening to various grandparents, uncles or cousins playing the piano and leading us all in a singalong! On-going involvement in church life always featured music as well, so I grew up surrounded by music.

When I stepped away from singing as a profession to work as an arts administrator and then in Christian ministry, I maintained a connection to the world of performing by occasionally choosing to sing a particular role in a local production (Jean Valjean in Les Miserables in 1995; Deuteronomy in Cats in 2007) and by teaming up with two of my best friends, Tim McCallum and Duncan Esler, to form Geelong’s own version of The Three Tenors which was terrific fun. We performed many times over the years with full orchestras and at events such as Carols by Candlelight.

christiancollege.vic.edu.au

MEET THE DEAN OF CHRISTIAN CULTURE

Can you tell us a bit about your family? If we asked Nicki, what might she suggest are among your good points, and where might she suggest there could be room for improvement?

My wife Nicki and I met at school in our English Literature class in Year 12. Our relationship grew and we were married in February 1992. We have four children; Jeremy (25) Chloe (23) Zach (21) and Toby (19) all of whom are in various stages of work and university life. Jeremy is a teacher at The Geelong College; Chloe is a performing artist with a completed Music Theatre degree; Zach has recently finished his Communications degree and commenced a full-time role with Smiling Mind in Melbourne; and Toby is working locally as he prepares to tackle university next year. We love our children dearly, we value our relationships with them individually and collectively; we are thrilled to be able to watch them grow and make decisions; and we are extremely proud of their character, nature and capacity.

What are some of your favourite things to do when you have the opportunity to switch off for a few minutes, hours or days?

I still carry in my heart-of-hearts a great love of the arts – so I head off as often as possible (when restrictions allow!) to a theatre, cinema, music venue, art gallery or museum.

And my love of sport has never waned - so you would normally quite regularly find me at the MCG watching my beloved Melbourne Football Club, or glued to the TV watching cricket, athletics, tennis, swimming, The Olympics, or basically any form of competition.

And when all is in routine, I do like to exercise at least three mornings each week. I am a retired “Cross-Fitter” now preferring to engage in a more cardio-focused group training regime in an attempt to keep the middle-aged spread from spreading too much!

Nicki is a postgraduate qualified Critical Care Nurse working in ICU, Emergency and two local GP surgeries as well as writing novels in her spare time. She has so far published nine books.

I should imagine if you were to ask Nicki to provide a comment relating to a strength of mine, she would mention my love of her and our kids, my devotion to us as a family. On the flip side, if you were looking for any not-so-good points, I suspect the conversation may turn to those moments when my celebrated focus and determination becomes unnecessary stubbornness. I am still working on that!

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KEEPING CONNECTED IN A COVID WORLD The great challenge of 2020 From the outset, this year was always going to be a standout in terms of bringing the College community together.

In any year, to communicate in all the ways we do with our community about everything we do at two kindergartens, five campuses and Back Creek Farm takes a vast amount of intensive work on the part of many people.

But 2020 was always going to bring a much bigger challenge in keeping our community connected. We’re celebrating 40 years, so it was also about re-connecting with anyone who had been part of that community over the past four decades across a number of special events, two of which happened, both very successfully, in midMarch.

Then 2020 brought an even bigger challenge than the one we’d already geared up for. Learning went from taking place in classrooms one term, to bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and gardens the next. Teachers and classmates appeared on screens, there were no bells and College uniforms didn’t see the light of day for weeks.

Excursions, camps, overseas trips and major events were cancelled.

Gone was our ‘normal’ where teaching methodologies centre around students gathered physically with teachers in class-sized groups in five or six different campus locations, and the whole school experience is immeasurably enhanced in every aspect by social interaction. Suddenly, social interaction was replaced by isolation and a ‘new normal’ emerged. A whole raft of completely different teaching strategies, learning activities, routines and environments where teachers and students were forced to think way outside the ‘normal’ box. Communication was digital, classrooms virtual, online resources were critical and much creative use was made of a large and diverse range of other resources around the home.

Time management required a whole new approach in the absence of bells, timetables and classrooms.

When members of a community suddenly become physically isolated from one another, maintaining connection is critical. Given that my role has me dealing with every piece of material going into the weekly Vine newsletter, and the preparation of all social media posts, and we were all staying at home indefinitely, I wondered where all the content for our communication platforms was going to come from...how would we stay connected?

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Amidst an incredible amount of work on the part of the COVID-19 Management team and all teaching and professional support staff the College launched its Continuous Learning @ Home program. The response from students and parents to a whole new way of embracing learning, resourcing and facilitating it from home was remarkable. Even more remarkable was the volume and diversity of material that started hitting my inbox from teachers, parents and others – some of it requested as part of a conscious effort our end to generate content – but the overwhelming majority of material was unsolicited.

By Week 2 of Term 2, it became clear – not only was there an incredible amount of rich learning going on in countless homes around the region, but people wanted to share what they were doing - it was fun, different, a whole new way of doing school and they wanted to stay connected with the College community. Through text, photos and videos we discovered what and how students were learning - individually, with family members and pets, or in virtually connected groups, even entire classes.

For the first time I was being supplied with more social media content than I could use. Most of it came from teachers, some direct from parents and others. I genuinely could have spent entire weeks writing posts.

So often accompanying emails were laced with the sender’s enthusiasm and excitement about the content they’d sent me. From my humble home office, I felt the College – with five campuses in lockdown and barely a soul to be found onsite – was buzzing with activity...

Not only were our social media platforms (and, in most instances, The Vine) packed with content -they enabled individuals within the community to connect with each other. According to our social media analytics, engagement with our content – clicks on posts, shares, comments, likes, loves, wows, and so on – during Continuous Learning @ Home doubled to more than 20,000 per month between February and May. The more we are taken away from each other it seems, the more we feel the need to connect.

Simon Garner

Marketing and Publications

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Revisiting some of our social media during eight weeks of CL@H...

In some households, CL@H meant it was wall-to-wall Christian College...

Excellent attendance from Day 1

Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

Just about a full house!

On Day 1 of Continuous Learning@Home last week we reported a 95% attendance rate, and the numbers continued to rise!

Thursday and Friday saw a whopping 98% of students across our five campuses engaging with CL@H!

There’s a definite CCG theme going on in the Nakayama household right now as Lin (Year 10, Senior School – Waurn Ponds), Niko and Zen (Years 7 and 5 respectively, Middle School – Highton) started Term 2 yesterday with Continuous Learning @ Home. Meanwhile their dad Yuji, CCG Head of Japanese and Exchange, delivered lessons to Year 9 and 12.... all at the same time under the same roof!

A runaway success – RunFest saw 665 participants run or walk more than 20,000 km in five weeks!

Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

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KEEPING CONNECTED IN A COVID WORLD Surf Coast Preps were busy data-collecting - Ernie’s dogs were happy to be surveyed.

Christian College

Christian College

Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

Preps from Surf Coast Campus got right amongst it collecting primary data. They came up with some yes/no questions they could use for surveying – things like ‘Do you like dogs?’

‘Do you like salami?’ ‘Do you like pickles?’ It was great to see families getting involved with the learning – and some interesting trends were revealed – for example, everyone in Hope and Mia’s family likes ice-cream!

Some of those surveyed didn’t need to respond with words, their actions said it all – like Ernie’s dogs!

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Pets came to homeroom.

Pets lapping it up!

One of the coolest things about having the classroom at home is that pets can join the fun!

Year 6B at Middle School – Highton had their first pet show and tell in Homeroom on Friday students got to meet members of each other’s families in a way that wouldn’t be possible at school, including several dogs, a couple of cats, a stick insect, budgie – even a pony!

Of course pets love the idea of their owners being at home more...most of them are huge fans of Continuous Learning @ Home!

christiancollege.vic.edu.au

KEEPING CONNECTED IN A COVID WORLD Challenging and uncertain times call for an emphasis on wellbeing – for many students across the campuses, that’s what Wednesdays were all about.

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Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

Wellbeing is a critical aspect of our Continuous Learning @ Home program and while it’s is a 24-7 thing and not limited to one day, in Wellbeing Wednesday programs at various campuses, students have found great ways to look after themselves!

Here’s a tiny snapshot: Year 2s at Junior School have taken time to thank people around them, make yummy fruits snacks and draw things they are thankful for. With gentle wellbeing sessions every Wednesday during homeroom, Year 7s at Middle School have also been creative, making gifts for someone they’re grateful for. Meanwhile Year 9s have been doing what they love – from art and meditation to basketball trick shots, staying active, watching sunrises, baking and Facetiming friends. Bellarine Preps have cooked, enjoyed an at-home ‘day spa’, read books and more; while Year 8s and 9s have enjoyed fun homerooms, virtual tours of the space station, museums and famous world landmarks. They’re also planning and undertaking a self-chosen area of passion and personal development.

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KEEPING CONNECTED IN A COVID WORLD Junior School’s series on Life Imitating Art drew a heap of likes, loves, shares and positive comments.

Senior Music classes adapted quickly to the new normal.

Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

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Students from Junior School – Belmont have really enjoyed dressing up as artists and artworks during Continuous Learning @ Home - as has their teacher Ms BeckCarlson - or was that Frida Kahlo? Some fantastic creative work here - take a tour through the mini-gallery and see if you can work out ‘who’ or ‘what’.

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Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

Unit 3/4 Music Investigation, taught by Ms Mantelli, had their first online concert class today. They performed exceptionally well and enjoyed being able to share their music with each other. Meanwhile Mr Gardner’s Unit 3/4 Music Performance class all tuned in to an aural and theory lesson.

christiancollege.vic.edu.au

KEEPING CONNECTED IN A COVID WORLD And our College Captains, Jack Peace and Molly England, together with Highton and Bellarine Campus captains reected on the strength of belonging to a caring community during challenging times.

Christian College Infocus, Semester 1 - 2020

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CRITICAL CONNECTIONS IN EARLY YEARS

First five years – intensive learning It is astonishing to consider how much, and how fast a child’s brain develops. We now know that more than in any other period in a person’s life, the experiences that are built into the first five years, will have a lifelong impact. Nothing that comes later will compare to the intensity of this learning.

All of a child’s relationships, the things they see and smell and touch, the way they are spoken to and engage with others, the things they taste and the emotions they feel, all work to stimulate the brain…and are creating millions of connections to build foundations that will impact all learning, health and behaviour into the future.

It’s not difficult to perceive then, that the relationships, experiences and environments that what we offer in a quality preschool setting, in collaboration with what families have already uniquely provided, adds a rich dimension to a child’s capacity to learn about their place in this world.

Play does not demand a precise response, and the ‘processes’ of play speak to the capacity each person has to explore, imagine, interact, think, converse and understand. We value that play is not a set pathway, it is in fact an open door to wonder and learning, and I am grateful that we have teams of educators that honour play as a daily focus within our beautiful indoor and outdoor environments.

I often reflect to those that I am introducing to our services, that without our intuitive, passionate, and creative educators, we would have very little of true importance. What a benefit to all then, that alongside impressive physical spaces, we also have educators that through all their interactions, are saying to the child, ‘I see you, I hear you, you matter’.

At Williams House Kindergarten, and at Butterfield House Kindergarten + Care, both rated as Exceeding National Quality Standards, we are well positioned to welcome children into creative learning environments that speak to the hearts and minds of those we care for.

I have not long walked inside after being with children in the Autumn sunshine; and I was privileged to observe, that just halfway into their year together, the children exude joy in each other’s company. They are established in their relationships with peers and educators, they have a strong grasp of the routines and expectations, they have genuine sense of agency and an understanding that their ideas and their contributions matter.

Bernadette Johnson Director Early Learning Williams House Kindergarten

Do these qualities reveal themselves through formal and rigid tasks? No, they reveal themselves through the most elastic of experiences…play.

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GREAT SETTINGS, UNIQUE OFFERINGS Butterfield House and Williams House offer an identical program structure.

Prekinder: For many children, prekinder is their first group experience outside of the family setting. It is a gentle introduction to the social routines of an Early Years environment and provides important opportunities for children to see themselves as a ‘little’ separate to the family unit. This year facilitates early steps in self-regulation and self-awareness for our 3-4 year olds in the year prior to preschool.

Preschool: For children in their year before advancing to Prep. Preschool is a year of wonderful ‘unfolding’, as key skills across all developmental areas are challenged, expanded and consolidated. Within the context of play and while still championing a sense of flow in our daily routines, our preschools are also privileged with generous access to indoor and outdoor play based experiences, Bush Kinder and routine access to specialist subjects such Music, Japanese and Library.

Day care: Day care is accessible in half or full day increments, for children aged 3 years to school age [5-6 years old] throughout the year, term breaks included. Essentially this option was created to support families who needed quality additional care, to support their child’s access to our sessional programs.

This continues to be our priority, but as space allows, we also welcome other children into care. We know that we offer something unique in this program.

Group numbers are typically small, educators are highly qualified and experienced, and with full access to all resources, the daily experiences are varied and of a quality consistent to all our programs.

School Connections: Uniquely, while we function as a separate entity to Christian College, we are privileged to be able to link to the respective campuses of Junior School - Belmont and the Surfcoast Campus, Torquay.

The access to the school’s physical spaces such as gymnasiums, libraries and playing fields, as well as bus fleets and administrative support, ultimately benefits all of our families.

For those children who will eventually transition into Prep at these campuses, the orientation to Christian College is a comprehensive and consistent factor throughout their time at our centres. We are able to create a smooth pathway for our preschoolers to be valued members of a larger College community, all the way through to year 12.

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CRITICAL CONNECTIONS IN EARLY YEARS

We have all loved seeing ‘H’ gradually come to enjoy her time as a Koala at Williams House. We have seen her go from serious and hesitant to happy and even, yes, even excited about some days at Kinder! H has been given the freedom and time to settle herself slowly and to choose her friendships carefully and it is just lovely to see her interact with these friends.

Her favourite time of the week is Music with Mr Smith and she also loves library and craft in the classroom. We are excited to see how she develops further over the next few months at Williams House.

S.T.

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Given that this is our first experience launching a child on their educational journey, we have been thrilled with how she has adjusted to new people, environments and opportunities provided by Williams House. We have all loved the WHild events which have encouraged us to look further into our environment for discussion, health and fun educational experiences with our kids.

We feel that ‘E’ will certainly be ready to step into Prep next year with confidence and a willingness to learn. Thank you very much to you and the team.

S and M

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It’s difficult to know where to begin as ‘R’ simply loves everything about Kinder life! He is really thriving in the creative, social and learning bustle that is part of that world. From all the wonderful activities in class, to library, music and sport at Junior School.

The true sense of belonging, pride in being that bit more grown up than last year, and all that artwork that comes home streaming through our door!

C.N.

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S.D.

L.P.

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We really couldn’t be happier with the progress we have witnessed in ‘J’ since starting 4-year-old kinder. He is a lot more grounded in himself from the extra stimulation he receives from kinder - both intellectually and socially. We are encouraged to see that he is not the only very physical four-year-old in the world and to be assured of his ‘normality’.

He counts down the days until he gets to go to kinder next which is wonderful. We have gained a lot of confidence in his readiness for school as a result of his enthusiasm and the positive feedback that we have received in his growth in areas of previous concern for us (mostly his ability to get along with others).

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E’ has grown so much this year! And inevitably we have too. It has been amazing, and I must say everything we had hoped for her initial experience of the school environment. Right from the start she has been so excited and engaged (racing into sit on the mat without even a kiss good-bye!), we can see that she is learning to think about the world and people differently.

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WHAT OUR FAMILIES SAY

YEAR 3 AT SURF COAST IN 2021 TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL When Christian College’s Surf Coast Campus and Butterfield House Kindergarten + Care opened in 2018, they brought a different and exciting choice to parents in Torquay and the Surf Coast – the option of their children receiving an independent education, based on a balance of pastoral care and exceptional educational programs, all of which start at a preschool level.

It’s proving a popular option with its state-of-the-art facilities surrounded by acres of green fields and wildlife, not to mention breathtaking views. For parents though, this is really the cream on top because there’s a lot more than a lovely setting that goes into deciding where they send their children to school.

One of the most important features of our College is the continuous and consistent learning expectations throughout our students’ learning journey. At Surf Coast Campus this begins at Butterfield House.

The preschool children visit the school campus each week for Library and Japanese classes. They also use the other facilities for different events. Many of them continue their educational journey in Prep at Surf Coast campus, which makes for a seamless transition from kindergarten to school.

Growth is part of life at the campus and will be for years to come. Each year, a new level of learning is added.

This year sees the first Year 2 cohort going through and next year, Year 3 will run for the first time.

But at all year levels, the development of the curriculum and various programs within the school is always ongoing. Over the past two-and-a-half years Surf Coast Campus has started its own campus choir, strings group, dance group and Lego club. Children take part in Bush Prep and Out and About sessions in Years 1 and 2, and this year a kitchen garden is under development, the maintenance of which all year levels will share.

The journey for staff and families since the campus opened has been rewarding and fulfilling. Foundation students from 2018, and students from subsequent years, have flourished. Their academic ability and social capabilities have blossomed and they have grown in faith and love.

Combine this with their passion for the environment and desire to be good citizens and they are truly a remarkable group of children. Next year brings the exciting challenge of building on all those positives as the Year 3 program unfolds.

Being a part of a larger College community is a significant strength because it allows for added support, care and provision. The opportunity to have peer collaboration and collegial learning with teachers from across campuses provides great opportunities for our teachers to grow and learn.

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What will Year 3 look like?

Next year’s Year 3 program will again explore the differentiated learning styles of each child. These children are a happy united group however, they are already developing individual talents and skills in areas which they are personally drawn to and interested in.

As children mature, they begin to learn the rudimentary elements of abstract thinking and logical progressions in number and mathematics as they exercise new thinking and learning routines.

This growth in maturation allows their teachers to stretch their learning, thinking and writing skills, especially in developing narrative writing, persuasive arguments and the recording of information in various forms.

The complexity of the texts they read and various comprehension skills will continue to develop.

Their ability to understand how they learn and their capacity to work independently will be more evident as they move through Year 3.

As educators, we need to continually provide the students with important numeracy and literacy skills, building their understanding and nurturing the talents they demonstrate in the arts, sciences and in their physical skills and awareness.

As well as these core areas of study our Year 3 students will take part in inquiry-based STEAM sessions. They will also have the opportunity to play team sports during cross-campus sport sessions.

We will also develop further our environmental science programs and the study of the diverse flora and fauna in our campus ‘front yard’ and around our local beaches.

With the numbers growing each year at Prep and across the grades, next year there will be a need for an extra classroom teacher and extensions in the specialist teachers’ time allocations.

We are so fortunate to have highly skilled and expert classroom teaching staff and specialists who love the children and want to provide the very best for each one. They know how each of their students learn and what they need to continue growing as a learner.

Understanding each child’s capacity to grow, and their capabilities as a learner, is paramount in our quest to help grow able and competent children.

Debbie Riddle Surf Coast Campus Coordinator

The kitchen garden will be pivotal in the Year 3 students’ learning. They will be responsible for the seasonal planting, companion planting, harvesting, cooking the produce and setting up a market stall.

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

Borobudur Temple Java 2019

With our College recognised as having one of the strongest Language programs in Victoria, Indonesian and Japanese at Christian College have continually maintained strong student numbers over decades, which has bucked the national trend since the year 2000.

Recent figures show that among Victoria’s 2500 schools, Indonesian is taught in more schools than any other language (285), followed by Japanese (277). Few, if any, can claim to have taught both languages continuously and concurrently over a period just shy of three decades.

Japanese was introduced in 1986 and Indonesian in 1992. Current Year 12 teacher, Mrs Julienne Welsh, who originally joined the staff as a Japanese teacher, started our Indonesian program.

Today at Christian College, Indonesian starts at Year 5 where students are exposed to the language’s 200 highest frequency words and gain a level of conversational fluency. By the time they reach senior secondary levels, students are taking a deep dive into the learning through cultural exploration, reaching a language proficiency level to take them through VCE exams, and, in many cases, future areas of study or employment.

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As a teacher, I am passionate about the Indonesian language, culture and people and I’m driven every day to share this passion with my students.

Tom McKenzie

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“I am very much involved with the fostering of people-to-people links between the two countries and strive to instil this same sense of purpose with my students,” he said.

“It’s exceptionally rewarding to see that moment in a student when they realise that learning a language is not difficult, and things start to click. Walking around the school yard and having students greet me and carry a conversation in Indonesian fills me with pride and is immensely satisfying.

“Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of my job, however, is seeing a love for Indonesia blossom in my students.”

Integral to the success of the Indonesian program is the 25 year-old twin school relationship with SMA Negeri 2 Mataram in Lombok, Indonesia. Students from there have made 12 short-term exchange visits here since 1996, and Christian College students have made nine trips to Lombok. It hasn’t always been straightforward – there were eight years when our students didn’t travel due to DFAT travel advisory warnings, and this year COVID-19 prevented the Indonesian students from visiting Christian College.

At the start of 2020, Mr Tom McKenzie took on the role of Head of Indonesian Language and Exchange at Christian College. He says sharing his love of Indonesian language and culture with students brings many rewards.

Glow cars, Yogya town square 2019

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

Becak ride Yogyakarta 2019

Development on many levels The processes and experiences involved in gaining proficiency in a language and developing an understanding and love for another country’s culture bring a range of benefits to learners - not just for the duration of a course undertaken at school, but for life.

“Language learning challenges students to think outside of their comfort zone and engage with unfamiliar values and practices. It also encourages them to reflect on their own cultural preconceptions,” Tom said.

“In an increasingly connected world, engagement with people from different cultural backgrounds is more and more common.”

Visit to Java Orphanage 2019

There are ‘here-and-now’ benefits too. Academically, studying a language in VCE boosts ATAR scores – language learners have a rare opportunity to score ‘bonus’ points. There are also gains to be made when it comes to further study, career and employment opportunities.

“There have been a number of students from Christian College who would not have gained direct entry to their chosen tertiary courses without a boost from studying Indonesian,” Tom said.

“Having a second language makes a resume stand out. For Australian students, Indonesian is particularly advantageous as, COVID complications aside, the Indonesian economy is growing towards being an economic powerhouse.

“That translates to jobs – lots of them – and English speakers who are fluent in Indonesian will stand to benefit enormously.”

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Pak Idhzar in the International classroom 2019

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

POWERING THE BRAIN Research proves it – language learning is good for the brain! Here’s just a handful of contemporary research findings: • A 2016 University of Edinburgh study found an increase in several areas of mental alertness among 18 to 78 year-olds who had taken a short language course - regardless of age.

• Pennsylvania State University research found bilingual speakers work better on multiple projects simultaneously than monolingual speakers.

• People using a foreign language when decision-making can think more rationally and with less bias than those who use only one language, according to Chicago University research in 2012.

• Meanwhile a study in Luxembourg found that those who speak more than two languages are at lower risk of onset memory problems.

• In 2015, the Georgetown University Medical Centre concluded that bilingual speakers who use both languages have more brain power in those parts of the brain responsible for attention, inhibition and short-term memory.

Source: businessinsider.com

MEET THE STAFF

Tom McKenzie

Campuses: Bellarine – Highton - Years 7 to 9; Senior School – Year 11 Background pre-CCG: Teaching Indonesian at CCG is my first professional position after university graduation in 2014. I have also served on the committee of VILTA (the Victorian Indonesian Language Teachers’ Association) and am active with a number of NGOs in Indonesia, focusing mostly on the availability and quality of educational resources for children in remote areas.

Spare time preferences: I am passionate about sport, including tennis, golf and volleyball. I play in the Bellarine Volleyball Association’s weekly competition in Ocean Grove. And, of course, I have to mention following the mighty Bombers in the AFL! Your journey to being an Indonesian teacher: My Indonesian language journey began in Prep at primary school, so I’ve been learning Indonesian for 24 years. At high school my interest grew after participating in a cultural visit from an Indonesian school. The people were so friendly and their culture so rich and different, that I was hooked.

I have travelled to Indonesia numerous times, for leisure and professionally with CCG. I also spent extended time there with a youth exchange program in rural Indonesia.

became available… and wouldn’t you know it, one of the Indonesian teachers got stranded in Bali after a volcanic eruption! So I was thrown straight into the deep end, forced to learn exceptionally quickly - not exactly what I expected! I have now been teaching here for six years.

Positives about CCG Indonesian program: It’s one of the strongest in Victoria. The Year 5-6 program in particular, which is now taught predominantly through storytelling, has seen engagement increase and a sharp rise in the Indonesian proficiency of our Middle Years students.

Positives about learning another language: Too many to list! For me, the greatest benefit is the ability to foster people-to-people links between countries. This is where true relationships are formed, not through governments and the corporate world. You don’t always need to know the language to do this, but it certainly helps. What will always be important, however, is a deep understanding of cultures other than your own.

Tom McKenzie

Head of Indonesian – Language and Exchange

What brought you to CCG: At the end of my degree, I completed my last school placement at Christian College in Term 2, 2014. In Term 3, a Language Assistant position

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

Indonesian Consulate Independence Day 2016

MEET THE STAFF

Bishi Leathem

Campus: Bellarine – Years 5 to 9 Background pre-CCG: Government and private sector on Australia’s Aid Program projects in China, Indonesia, Africa and the Pacific. In between having children I also managed a community volunteer program supporting disadvantaged Geelong Region schools.

Spare time preferences: I like being out in nature.

Going on bush walks or just exploring. Most recently I completed the 3 Capes Track in Tasmania, which was stunning.

Your journey to being an Indonesian teacher: A fabulous teacher at Woodleigh School on the Mornington Peninsula got me started. During the fourth year of my double degree I lived in Indonesia with a family and studied in Malang, Java, then did a semester at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogayakarta. While working on Australia’s Aid Program I also spent about six months in Indonesia.

I also worked as a volunteer watch leader on the STS Leeuwin, a tall ship based in Fremantle, then as the translator on two of their voyages to the lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. It was on those trips across the ocean when I really understood how close Indonesia is to Australia and that we really do live on the one planet.

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What brought you to CCG: I hadn’t heard of the College before applying for a position five or six years ago. It was a random series of events that led me here and for that I feel so fortunate.

Positives about CCG Indonesian program: The depth and range of experience of the teaching staff and language assistants.

Positives about learning another language: It makes students think about their own language and how they use it. It gives us a relevant context for disrupting students’ ideas of ‘normal’ and encouraging them to view unfamiliar things as being just that unfamiliar. Not disgusting or weird. Not better or worse. Just different...and maybe even interesting.

Bishi Leathem Indonesian Teacher - Bellarine Campus

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

Nazariah Robottom

Campuses: Highton and Bellarine – Language Assistant for Years 5 to 9 Background pre-CCG: Teaching degree from an Indonesian university, and a Masters in TESOL from Deakin University. I have taught at primary, secondary and tertiary levels in Indonesia and Australia. I came to Australia from Indonesia in 2012.

Spare time preferences: My main out-of-work passions are travel, dance and fitness. I enjoy doing fun runs, road trips and boating with my husband. We have travelled extensively together in western Europe.

I’ve performed around Victoria with my Indonesian dance group as well as in Sydney and Hobart. I also have two black belts in martial arts and competed at national and international world cup level in karate.

What brought you to CCG: I applied for the position in 2016 and was offered it. I’m more than happy to be here as a part of CCG especially because it has one of the best Indonesian language programs in Victoria.

Positives about CCG Indonesian program: The program offers a great opportunity for the students to learn not just the language but also have real cultural experiences with the exchange program.

Having Indonesian first-language speakers to assist is a very strong point too. Students benefit from learning something of the culture within which the language is embedded.

Positives about learning another language: Learning a second (or third) language is essential to understanding other cultures. It enables direct engagement with people of other backgrounds.

This is important in an increasingly globalised world.

Being bi or tri-lingual provides students with significant advantages in future personal and professional activities.

Nazariah Robottom Language Assistant - Highton & Bellarine Campuses

Mark Orton

Campuses: Highton – Years 5 to 9; Bellarine – Year 8 Background pre-CCG: Landscaping, apprentice plumber, surf industry slacker, outdoor education instructor...I’ve been teaching for 10yrs now. I lived and worked in Indonesia and Singapore for six-and-a-half years (20112017), teaching at Australian International Schools.

Spare time preferences: Surfing, fitness and enjoying the great outdoors in many ways.

Your journey to being an Indonesian teacher: Surfing initially; Indonesia easily has the world’s best waves spread amongst 17,000 tropical islands. I studied Indonesian in my BA International Studies at Deakin, with a compulsory internship in the country, finishing in 2009.

I have spent more than four-and-a-half years in Indonesia working, travelling or completing short-term study, and several years beyond that throughout SE Asia – I love it!

What brought you to CCG: Kind, happy, polite, diligent students and professional staff drew me to CCG again.

I had worked here on two occasions previously in 2011 and 2019.

Positives about CCG Indonesian program: The highest level of in-country experience I’ve seen amongst Indonesian teachers in Victoria, native support staff and sister school program/tour. All that combined adds up to unparalleled experiences and opportunities for eager students.

Positives about learning another language: Personally - improves empathy, cultural awareness, appreciation of differences and vastly improves first language capacity through self-reflection and comparison.

Professionally - Learning another language helps students stand out from the pack.

Mark Orton

Indonesian Teacher - Highton & Bellarine Campuses

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

MEET THE STAFF

Julienne Welsh

Campus: Senior School – Years 10 and 12 Background pre-CCG: I have lived, studied and worked in beautiful parts of Australia and South East Asia. I’ve enjoyed a rich and varied teaching career in Indonesian and ESL/EAL at Christian College Geelong, Wesley College Perth, Darwin High School, SMAN1 Singaraja, Bali, Cocos Keeling Islands District High and Dili International School, Timor Leste.

I’ve also worked in government and industry training projects in Australia and Indonesia. In the Territory, I worked as an interpreter and translator for the Indonesian Consulate, veterinary officers on cattle stations and with illegal fisherman for NT Fisheries and DFAT; and also led government delegations to remote parts of both Indonesia and the NT. Spare time preferences: A highlight of my travels and work around Australia and Asia has been establishing a garden wherever I have lived and becoming part of wonderful communities. Now at home, my passions remain for growing flowers and veges, beach walks and golf and discovering Victorian family history.

Your journey to being an Indonesian teacher: My passion for languages began with high school French in my hometown Esperance, WA. I studied Indonesian for three years at Curtain University, and have lived and worked for six years in Indonesia (Bali and Java), Timor Leste and Australia’s Cocos Keeling Islands. Using Indonesian at work and in the community I developed fluency through frequent and extensive travel throughout the Indonesian archipelago and Malay speaking countries including Singapore and Malaysia.

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What brought you to CCG: I applied for a Japanese teaching position at Christian College and was successful.

With Japanese the only language taught then, I was delighted to be asked by then Principal Daryl Riddle and Carol Miton-Garner to introduce Indonesian as the second language in 1992. In 1996, through contacts in the regional education office in Lombok, we were able to set up the Twin School Program with SMA Negeri 2 Mataram, now in its 25th year.

Positives about learning another language: It’s like taking a step forward to meet others in their cultural space. It provides insights and opens possibilities of adventures into other worlds that we may not have the privilege to know otherwise.

Learning another language can challenge our monolingual background, make us less one dimensional and provide valuable skills in relating to others in an inclusive manner, bringing respect and harmony to our increasingly multiethnic and multicultural workplace and society.

Julienne Welsh Head of Indonesian - Teaching & Learning

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

OPENING DOORS THROUGH UNDERSTANDING Cultural exchange and people-to-people links are the single most important aspect in bilateral relationships.

It is not simply enough to be able to speak the language … You must also be able to understand the nuances of a culture to truly connect.

For our students, this cultural context comes predominantly through a strong relationship with our Indonesian sister school, SMA Negeri 2 Mataram.

Not only do students who engage in our exchange programs see an immense benefit in their language skill development; they also come away with a deep appreciation of how understanding a culture can open so many more doors.

The lifelong friendships created through the visits from us to Lombok, and SMA Negeri 2 Mataram to Geelong, are a pivotal part of the Indonesian program.

Yes, having a two- or four-week trip to Lombok is a nice carrot to dangle in front of students to continue their language studies. However, without the cultural exchange, our program would lack a sense of meaning and purpose.

Our exchange program with SMA Negeri 2 Mataram began in 1996, with CCG hosting a visit by teachers and students in November. The following year saw the first group of CCG students from Years 10, 11 and 12 visiting Mataram in March. We continue this pattern with visits to each other in alternating years.

2020 signifies the 25th year of our exchange program running and, although we may not physically be able to meet, the two schools are very much looking forward to strengthening our bond for many years to come.

Tom McKenzie

Head of Indonesian – Language and Exchange

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INDONESIAN – GLOBAL CONNECTIONS, LIFELONG LEARNING

Mataram Visit Farewell Party 2019

SISTERS AND BROTHERS FOR 25 YEARS The short and long-term exchange programs have offered SMAN 2 Mataram global exposure and opportunities to experience, learn, manage and participate in engaging and meaningful learning environments. Further, they give us the chance to introduce and share our faiths, cultures, languages, and education systems, which are important in this increasingly multicultural and interconnected world.

There are so many benefits coming out of our Twin School relationship such as developing/improving selfconfidence and self-development (especially in teaching and learning), mastering the English language, expanding networking, experiencing Australian education and life, increasing tolerance, sustaining inter-cultural/faith understanding, and opening better opportunities for our students and staff to continue study/exchange overseas.

We believe that, since the beginning of the program, we carry and uphold common goals which are mutual respect and trust, lifelong and engaging learning, nurturing, interfaith and cultural understanding with sincere and true commitment to developing and sustaining all of that within both institutions for our communities (teachers, students, and parents).

Students from SAM Negeri 2 Mataram love many things about our relationship with Christian College, especially: • The opportunity to visit Australia and attend the College, one of the best schools with the best education system • Living and staying with their brothers and sisters in Australia • Hosting their brothers and sisters in Lombok Indonesia • Access to improve their English language skills and to use them in real-life contexts • Sister-brotherhood: sharing and caring between students involved that continues and lasts far beyond the programs.

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Ihdzar Azizi

Chief Coordinator, The Twin School Program SAM Negeri 2 Mataram, Lombok Indonesia

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THE TWO OF US

“

Jono was always very well behaved in class – a student who always did as much as he needed to do, but certainly not difficult to teach. Back then we didn’t have many resources – I used to bring things from home, like my Cuisenaire Rods, which I’ve had for 30 years.

I smile today hearing people saying we need more resources...we’ve come a long way in 30 years, and we had nothing when we started. To see the whole College develop the way it has in that time has been incredible.

Way back at the first Staff Retreat, we were challenged to dream about the College we’d like to see ...multiple campuses, a farm...as I recall, everything we came up with has happened – it hasn’t been easy but it’s been amazing.

I didn’t necessarily believe Daryl Riddle when he told me that I, like every other teacher, was called to this place – in my 31st year, I absolutely believe we’re all here for a reason. Bellarine Campus is fantastic, we are like a family and all staff seem to get on well, sharing good and difficult times together. I just love the place, I’ll never leave – even when I can’t teach any more, I want to come here and do the gardens.

“

Mark

This edition sees the first of a new section for In Focus – The Two of Us – where we highlight some of the great connections between pairs of people within our College community.

MARK JACOBI AND JONATHAN MADDOCK Mark has worked at Christian College since 1990.

Jonathan started as a student in Prep in 1989, graduating in 2001. Today, Mark teaches Year 3 at Bellarine Campus, Jonathan teaches Year 4. They work closely together, and with the other Year 3 and 4 teachers, as the two levels intermingle for many activities.

Their connection started back in 1992 when Mark taught Jonathan in Year 3. He had taught his brother David in 1990, and also taught Jess, now Jonathan’s wife, in Year 6.

This year, Jonathan and Jess’s daughter Layla is in Mark’s Year 3 class.

Mark’s assessment of me as a student is fair, although part of the reason I was well behaved in his class is that an office sectioned off at the back of our classroom was where my mum, (Robyn Maddock, later Middle School Chaplain), was based when she worked in Learning Support. I used to particularly enjoy the Maths double lesson on Fridays when we got together with the other Year 3s and did rotations through different fun activities – we still do very similar things now. I used to love building towers with those Cuisenaire Rods.

I made some great friends at Christian College, was very happy and really liked the people. I loved the farm – hanging with school friends and not sitting in a classroom was great!

After graduating, I did an Arts degree and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I thought teaching was something I might enjoy, so that’s the direction I took and as my studies progressed, I got much more of a focus – the longer it went the more sure I was that this is what I should be doing.

I started teaching at Christian College at Bellarine Campus in 2008. Even in 12 years I’ve seen many changes. It is definitely a very strong community and that’s probably the bit I love most – the children and families are great and the staff like spending time with one another.

Jonathan

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THE LEGEND OF THE CLOCK TOWER CONNECTING PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE GRADUATES In 1987, Christian College was blessed to purchase the St. Augustine’s Orphanage site in Highton.

These magnificent buildings and grounds are a landmark in the Geelong area and in particular, the magnificent clock tower that stands above the rooftop and represents the very heart of these important buildings. It has become an icon on Geelong’s horizon for almost 90 years and is still visible from many locations across city and surrounding areas.

Thirty years ago in 1990 after our first year 12 graduating class, a symbolic and meaningful tradition was established that required each of our graduating students to climb the dusty staircase to the top of the clock tower. To each one, the climb represented the attainment and the honour of reaching the pinnacle of their Christian College journey, where each young person was honoured, congratulated and invited to ring the College bell in the tower, signifying the close of their school journey and the beginning of a new one.

The significance and symbolism of this ceremonial tradition is both powerful and moving as each of our former year 12 students have written their names upon a board or brick in the wall of the Clock Tower, leaving their mark for all times. It is a special part of commemorating their journey and our history as part of the Christian College narrative. This tradition, established by the Class of 1990, has become a significant part of the College folklore. As the former students return to the College for their 10-year reunion and dinner, many return to reconnect with old friends and classmates and to climb the stairs again to rediscover their “mark” in the clock tower.

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Unfortunately, time has taken its toll on the internal access structures of the clock tower, which have become dangerous and now prevent us climbing to the top.

There is an important need to undertake restoration and renovation works including the rebuilding of new access stairs, platforms and ladders to provide safe access to both the old areas, and the still-untouched areas of the Clock Tower. This will ensure a safe climb for future generations of graduating classes so they can continue this tradition.

Plans have been drawn, permits obtained and some funds raised. Our aim is to have the renovation work completed in time for our 2020 Year 12 cohort, who are experiencing a most unusual year of study, so they can benefit from the works and enjoy this moving and memorable experience.

At the recent 40 Years Anniversary Gala Dinner we proudly launched an appeal to support the undertaking of this project by our College Foundation.

To date we have raised more than $10,000 however, we need to raise another $40,000 to complete the project and also to restore the clock mechanism to a consistent functionality.

We encourage you to support our appeal so future graduates have the same opportunity to experience the rich tradition of marking this most significant event in their educational journey, just as other generations of graduates have done before them.

To Donate:

Contact Highton Reception

03 5241 1899

or go to the Foundation website: www.ccgfoundation.org.au/donate/

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THE LEGEND OF THE CLOCK TOWER

REFLECTIONS ON THE CLOCK TOWER CLIMB

Jack Weaver (2010)

It’s been nearly 10years since I climbed the Clock Tower with the rest of my year 12 cohort. While up there we were surrounded by names that covered every surface brick, wood, or whatever else a student could find to leave their mark on. I looked for names of older students I knew and saw spaces where they had left room for younger siblings to write their own. I thought if I could find a good space I could leave something for me and my sister to make sure our mark was left there, like so many had before.

Mia Kafieris (2006)

As a professional theologian and lecturer, I think about rites, rituals and sacraments daily. I find cohesive meaning for my life and worldview through practices that mark time and designate one stage of life from another.

It will come as no surprise to you then that at the end of Year 12 I made the most of all the ending rituals...final assembly, time capsule, Celebration Day, Farewell Dinner, Graduation and climbing the Clock Tower. The climb was wonderfully exciting. I had seen the tower every day from Mrs Baker’s bus on the way to school. As she turned the corner from Breakwater Rd onto Tucker St, there it was sticking out like an obelisk in the distance. The Clock Tower climb is steep, suitably reflective of the effort students, their families and the College invest to enable each student to succeed.

All the way up the history of people is etched in every available space. Name after name. Family after family.

All are recognisable on the ascent; friends, teammates, siblings and it’s hard not to feel the reality of the transition you’re about to make – soon your name will join all those before you and in a year’s time someone else may see your name and delight in the knowledge that you have gone before them. This practice of climbing the stairs, writing my name and ringing the bell that marked the end of my time at the College was my way of saying “I was here”, “this place matters”, “I have been part of something good, something bigger than myself”.

I hope that as my name fades from those walls it will be inscribed over by others who have had the same wonderful opportunities I had at Christian College.

Opportunities that enabled me to come to grips with something good, something bigger than myself, to learn to live a life that matters.

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I found a brick on the wall near a dusty old plank propped up nearby, on the second or third level of the tower and wrote our surname boldly along it.

As I wrote my name and ticked it to show I’d reached the end of Christian College, I thought that just to be safe, I should leave an empty checkbox and write my sister’s name so she could find it and no-one would pinch her place. This backfired as Gemma was not happy I’d robbed her of the opportunity of writing her own name. Fortunately we can laugh about it now!

I certainly didn’t want to miss out on my name, or hers, being there – to leave my mark on the college, because it has left its mark on me. Being part of that tradition, and the spirit of the College, to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” has led me to the UK and back as I’ve stepped into various ministry roles, and now to Geraldton in Western Australia to do the same. I hope many future students can leave their mark and join this tradition and spirit as they too “Seek ye first…”

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THE LEGEND OF THE CLOCK TOWER

Jennifer Freind (2004)

I started at Christian College Middle School in 1997.

I remember it like it was yesterday because we had moved interstate from Townsville and my parents were looking for houses to buy in Highton, just up the road from the College. I remember my Dad describing what the school looked like and him saying, “Wait until you see the big Clock Tower!” And big it was, especially for an eight-year-old - everything looked bigger.

I remember the first time I saw the clock tower from the car window and the excitement I felt about the opportunity to explore such a grand looking school.

Driving up the steep South Valley Road hill it began to appear like the top of an old castle from a distance – a truly mystical sight for young eyes. What was inside?

I wondered.

While I was a student at Middle School, I never really thought much about the Clock Tower until I heard the Year 12 students had a tradition to leave messages on its walls. I recall thinking, how do they get up there?

What would be inside? But I never gave it much more thought.

When I reached Year 12, I had a lot to reflect on from my time at the College because many of my experiences as a student dramatically changed my life.

I recall climbing up a very shaky ladder and being cautious about who was in front of me and who was behind. I wanted to stop on my way up and read all the messages from the students who had left their mark before me but knew I had to keep climbing to the top. The walls were covered with notes - stories, jokes, memories, autographs, drawings, words of wisdom and some very heartfelt personal reflections. It was like a museum. I could have stayed in there for hours and hours. I remember Mr Riddle explaining to us how having the opportunity to make our own mark was significant. We were a part of history. For me, being present inside the walls of the Clock Tower took me back to that first time I saw the clock face from a distance as a young girl. The experience made me appreciate just how far I had come on my journey through the school.

In many ways, the Clock Tower experience was like the second bookend to my story at the College.

The Christian ethos of the school is one of the main reasons I explored faith. The words of the College hymn ‘Seek Ye First’ challenged me to pursue a personal relationship with God through prayer, one that I still pursue to this day.

The friendships I made and the times we shared together are special memories for me. One of my best friends who I met in Year 7 is still in my life today. Twenty-one years later, we were delighted to celebrate our school days together at this year’s 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner.

Today, I am married, building a house, studying my second degree, heavily involved in the Liberal Party of Australia and Kardinia Church.

For future graduates, my advice would be to stay the course, don’t give up. One quote that has always been an inspiration to me is by Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

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att M t a Th g in rn a e L e ‘Th

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Williams House Kindergarten and Day Care Middle School Highton Year 5 to Year 9

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Surf Coast Campus Torquay Prep to Year 2 in 2020

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Junior School Belmont Prep to Year 4