We hear a lot in the media about the importance of respect and I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that respect is something we offer and expect in return from others. It is a key reason why one of the key markers of a healthy school environment at Flinders is Ready, RESPECT and Safe.

The challenge comes when we disagree with someone else over their opinions, values and views which might be at odds with our own. What do we do then?

One concerning and increasingly commonplace approach in wider society is simply to shut down opposing opinions. This is a dangerous trend in a pluralistic, multi faith and multi cultural community. This Cancel Culture as it has been labelled is undermining the very ground we need for reasonable and RESPECTFUL debate.

So how do we provide an alternative narrative? As a Christian school we could do well to heed the exhortation of the Apostle Peter who wrote

(1 Peter 3:15-16):

'But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.’

Last week all the Kinder children participated in a wonderful incursion with ‘Little Woodworkers’.

Learning about trees, sustainability, building and safety while making a special gift for later in the year.


The children also enjoyed some free building time making things out of the leftover scraps of wood.

Our students enjoyed the Backflips against Bullying incursion on Friday - not only the high-energy acrobatics but the important messaging.

Students learnt ways to combat and report online bullying, and ways to reduce face-to-face bullying. It’s important to recognise the difference between teasing and bullying.

Sometimes teasing is harmless and playful. Other times it can be used to hurt. Playful teasing can sometimes be misinterpreted. When teasing is meant to hurt and is done over and over, it can become bullying.

If children are unsure or are feeling hurt they should talk with their teachers, who are there to help.

On Tuesday, we held our annual Primary Book Parade. The gym was full of fairies, wizards, animals and various book characters , even Barbie made an appearance!

Thanks for the effort that went into creating the amazing costumes. The students loved parading around the gym showing them off.

This Term, we have the wonderful opportunity to partner with an incredible organisation whose mission it is to make sure every child has access to quality books.

123Read2me, recognise the importance of reading aloud to children at a young age, enhancing their literacy skills in preparation for school. They aim to distribute pre-loved books to disadvantaged children, increasing literacy levels and raising awareness around the important role books play in our lives and our future.

You will find book boxes located outside N block (Grade 3-6 classrooms). Each house colour has a book box dedicated to them and when full, they will collect 100 points for their house team.

Please note- Books must be clean and in good condition.

https://123read2me.org.au/

Join us this August, as we read our way to helping kids who have a parent living with Multiple Sclerosis.

To register with our Flinders team, log onto https://www.msreadathon.org.au/students/schools

Search for Flinders Christian Community College Carrum Downs and as a team, we can log our books and raise money to support families living with MS.

Please do not park behind the Grade 6 classrooms (following the gravel road behind the gymnasium).

This is for staff only. Some parents have been parking here at school pickup and leaving at speed, which is a safety issue.

Thanks for your cooperation.

TUESDAY’S SECONDARY ASSEMBLY
Tuesday’s Secondary assembly was developed by our Senior Student leaders with a theme of Cultural Inclusivity. It was designed to be part 1 of a 2 part series with the focus at the 22 August assembly to be on Mental Health awareness.

It was great to see so many of our students and staff getting up to share an item with an overall focus on recognising and respecting cultural differences.

Highlights of the Assembly were as follows.

TERM 3 RRR HOUSE CHALLENGE

We are coming up to the halfway point in the term and have a close competition amongst the 4 Houses.

The most up to date results are: Week 3 results:

Cuthbert 278

Flynn 263

Nicholls 270

Ten Boom 277

We shall keep keep encouraging the students – particularly in House assemblies – to consistently seek to be the ‘Best Version of Us’.

YEAR 8 YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE
Our two excellent Student Counsellors, Emmy and Sammy, have spent a fair proportion of this week running 3 sessions on Youth Mental Health with our Year 8 classes. This is an excellent program to equip students with a proactive understanding of elements of mental health and some preventative approaches (as well as some insights into some common mental health struggles).

Now that I (and a considerable number of Secondary staff) have completed the staff version of this course I can honestly say that it is well and truly worth the time spent to run these workshops.

Should any issues arise from the topics raised in the course, we certainly want to hear from students (and parents) so that we are on the front foot in terms of support and follow up.

UPCOMING TERM 3 & 4 HOUSE EVENTS

Public Speaking
A Public Speaking club has been established to encourage and equip students in this area. This group run by Ms Vorster and Ms Piening is meeting at Tuesday lunchtimes. The art of public speaking is something I would encourage many students to develop.

Debating
Year 9s had some training in Debating last term in their Civics classes. We are looking forward to more House debating opportunities in 2024 but in the meantime, we are planning a Staff vs Student debate at a lunchtime venue to be announced soon. More details to come…

Choral Competition
A big goal in the next month and a half is to prepare students for the big Choral Comp at the end of the term. Rehearsals have started already and will continue during House times. The date for the Choral Competition has been moved from the Week 9 Assembly slot (to allow for one more rehearsal) to P2 Tuesday 12 September during the House Lesson time.

Engineering Competition
Ms Zuidema – our Head of Science – is planning for a House Engineering Competition in the first 3 weeks of Term 4. In the same fashion as the Choral Comp, the goal is to have ALL students in each House involved in a range of planning and construction activities, with House points ‘up for grabs’.


SOME REMINDERS/ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES

Mobile Phones
Basically – we don’t want to see them during the school day unless a teacher has given explicit permission for their use. Unless there is a solid reason for a student to be on the phone, it will be confiscated and handed in to the Secondary Reception to be collected at the end of the day. The decision has been made more recently to add a Lunchtime Detention to the confiscation of a phone.


Regards

Geoff Grace
Head of Secondary

A big congratulations to our U17 Boys and Girls as well as the U15 Boys Basketball teams who represented the college at the Basketball Victorias Champions Cup tournaments in the past week. Our teams played extremely well against some of the top ranked schools in the state.

Congratulations to our U15 boys who have progressed to the Elite 8’s finals day later in the term. The U15 girls will be competing at this tournament on Thursday 10 August and the Senior Boys will play on Tuesday 15 August.

Well done to the following students who represented the College at these championships so far

Charlotte A, Maddison C, Sitaya F, Titch M, Leah C, Maddison R, Alicia H, Kai S, Lillie S, Marcus C, Bailey M, Denver W, Andrew W, Thomas W, Benjamin I, Joshua L, Oscar S, Benjamin A, Harvey R, Max R, Kaiden M, Ziggy T, Spencer M, Mike F, Joel C, Reid A, We also want to say thank you to our coaching staff for all their hard work.

A big congratulations to all of our junior and senior students who attended the state netball preliminary day on Wednesday 2 August at the state netball and hockey centre in Parkville.

Our Junior Boys, Junior Girls and Senior Boys team all advanced to the finals day which will be held on the 5 September (Juniors) and Thursday 7 September (Senior Boys).

Congratulations to the following students who represented the college across both campuses:

Zara O, Nyachoop M, Emmerson A, Georgia B, Paeton G, Ryva H, Ruby K, Poppy L, Olive M, Milla N, Ivy W, Klara O, Slama M, Alana W, Alicia K, Sophie K, Steff S, Eden T, Leah C, Montana F, Alicia H, Laura V, Acacia V, Chris S, Reid A, Toby M, Tom W, Michael F, Tayton F, Spencer M, Seanan P, Tresten R, Harvey R, Tom W, Tom W, Talan W, Joseph M, William W, Balin D, Brodie C, Cullen C, Damian S, Jesse MD, Joshua C, Max J, Noah M, Oscar W, Ryan L. We also want to thank our coaches who provided guidance and knowledge to lead our teams to victory.

The Flinders 2023 secondary athletics team has now been selected. All successful athletes are notified by Gmail. Please check your email for confirmation.

This is a full day event and will feature both track and field events.

If your child would like to play basketball in a club team for the SUMMER season, please let us know by completing an “Expression of Interest”.

Please see the attached note from the Flinders Basketball Club Admin Team.

We are so excited to share with you that we are now running rehearsals for two new groups. First is our Jazz Ensemble which is led by Mr Rolleston and Mr Grima and has been designed for students to explore the rich world of jazz. This group meets every Tuesday morning for rehearsal and are working towards performances later in the year.

Our second group is our Concert Band which includes a number of our very talented Flinders students and is led by Head of Music, Mr Pugh. Our Concert Band will be working on several contemporary classics that offer a unique blend of modern musical elements while still drawing from the rich traditions of music. We can’t wait to hear this group perform also.

On Monday 31 July we were thrilled to have the Frankston Symphony Orchestra (FSO) visit Flinders and perform for the primary students.

To make it more exciting we had students from across Tyabb & Carrum Downs campuses rehearse and perform with the Orchestra. Some of our very talented staff also participated in the event. This was a wonderful opportunity for our primary students to experience a professional orchestra up close and we are incredibly grateful to the FSO for their visit.

We would also like to extend a big congratulations to Mia Cheung & Abigail Noden on successfully completing their ANZCA Musical Exams in Classical Pianoforte. This is a fantastic achievement and reflects your dedication, hard work, and love for music. You should both be immensely proud of yourselves.

For any general inquiries or questions about our music programs, please feel free to contact Mrs Linda Harris at musiccarrumdowns@flinders.vic.edu.au

Aladdin Kids
Our primary school production will take place in the gym on Thursday 23 November.

Over the last few weeks, the production team consisting of Mrs Bowen, Mr Rolleston and myself auditioned over 50 students from Grade 3 to Grade 6. We were delighted with the response and the quality of each audition. The Cast will be formally announced this week.

So, You Think You Can Dance Competition
Entries for So You Think You Can Dance are due this weekend. Thank you for those students who have already submitted their online entries.

Categories include Primary Solo, Secondary Solo and Primary and Secondary Ensembles.

Email your entries to diane.ohare@flinders.vic.edu.au.

Judging will take place next week.

Mini Popstars Primary School Holiday Workshop
Our school holiday workshop for students from Prep to Grade 6 will take place Monday 18, Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 September from 10:00am until 4:00pm.

During the workshop students will choose an artist, learn a pop song, dress up and have their song recorded. Students will receive a Mini Pop Stars Tee Shirt and a USB of their performance to take home. Cost is $250 for the three days.

Interested families should email diane.ohare@flinders.vic.edu.au to register their interest.

2024 Dance Classes at School
Next year we will be offering Dance Classes on an individual basis in the genres of Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and Hip Hop.

Classes will be taught by our Performing Arts teacher Mrs Mendolia, a graduate of Performing Arts and qualified and experienced Dance Teacher and Choreographer.

Expressions of interest can now be sent to diane.ohare@flinders.vic.edu.au

Grade 5 and 6 Drama Club
During Term 2 and 3, I have been working with Mrs North and Mr Greenwood in providing grades 5 and 6 with training in different drama techniques during our double period on a Wednesday afternoon.

As we approach the end of our sessions in the coming weeks, we are excited to show what we have learnt in our performance of Fairy Tale to our fellow Grade 5/6 students.

Performing Arts Students
Congratulations to all our Performing Arts students who have been undertaking Speech and Drama and Musical Theatre lessons with Mrs Mendolia and myself.

We have received lots of enquiries from families for places in our programme which is accredited by Theatrical Awards, a global organisation.

We are now taking expressions of interest for our 2024 classes, please email diane.ohare@flinders.vic.edu.au to register your place.

Spaces fill up very quickly and we normally work with a waiting list in place.

2024 Secondary School Production
I am delighted to inform you that our 2024 Secondary School Production will take place in June next year at the prestigious Frankston Arts Centre.

This will be an amazing opportunity for our students to shine on stage.

The Production Team are already working towards the production and will be commencing auditions in Term 4. More information will be released in the coming weeks.


Diane O’Hare
Performing Arts Coordinator

We are thrilled to share with you the progress made at our Flinders Tyabb Campus since the inception of the Joshua Centre – a pioneering educational centre designed especially for autistic students. We invite you to explore this transformative educational facility and the opportunities it offers for your child's growth and success.

At the Joshua Centre, we believe in nurturing not just survival, but thriving for students on the Autism spectrum. With a focused dedication to providing a differentiated learning program and environmental adjustments, we aim to cater to the unique sensory needs and routines of these exceptional learners.

Our centre is specifically designed for students diagnosed with level 2 autism who might require a predictable, calm and modified learning environment to truly flourish.

A Holistic Approach to Education
Our vision for the Joshua Centre encompasses a holistic approach to education. A Christ-centred journey where your child's academic, social, emotional, and functional life skills are nurtured with care. With small class sizes, each student benefits from an individualized and differentiated learning program. Moreover, our dedicated Educational Support staff members work in tandem with teachers to create an enriching environment tailored to your child's specific needs.

Expanding Horizons: Enrolment & Future Prospects
We are delighted to announce that we are expanding our current Joshua Centre. With this expansion, we aim to increase our capacity to support more students and to create more dynamic spaces that fosters learning and collaboration for our students. We are pleased to share with you some of the artist impressions of the new facilities that will be ready in early 2024.

The Joshua Centre commenced its journey with Grades 2 - 4 in 2022 and extended to Grades 1-6 in 2023. With the new building, we will be expanding to Grades 1 - Year 7 in 2024 and to Grades 1 - Year 8 in 2025 and beyond.

We are excited to announce that we have added to large Vuly Thunder Pro trampolines to the Joshua Centre playground. The Vuly trampolines have been selected for their exceptional safety features, quality and therapeutic benefits, particularly in promoting sensory integration and physical activity among autistic children.

We understand the importance of offering a safe and engaging environment that allows our students to thrive, develop new skills, and achieve their fullest potential.

Benefits of Rebounding for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Rebounding, or jumping on a trampoline, has been shown to offer a range of benefits for children on the autism spectrum, including:

• Sensory Stimulation: Rebounding provides proprioceptive and vestibular input, aiding sensory integration and self-regulation.

• Physical Exercise: Jumping on a trampoline promotes physical activity, cardiovascular health, and muscle development.

• Emotional Regulation: The rhythmic motion of bouncing can help reduce anxiety, stress, and promote relaxation.

• Social Interaction: Group trampoline activities encourage social engagement, communication, and cooperation among students.

• Motor Skills: Rebounding can improve coordination, balance, and motor planning skills.

Winter is nearly over so we will need hats in a couple of weeks in the afternoon sessions. Children have been using recycled boxes for their creations, we will appreciate if parents can supply small cardboard boxes.

Spring Rocketeers holiday program is approaching, bookings are open now. Book now

Activities coming up:

• Flowers making using cardboard tubes.

• Plasticine faces

• Making pop-up cards

• Cooking Rotis (Indian Bread)