Earlier this year, Hamish Mclachlan interviewed Neale Daniher, the face behind Fight MND. The conversation began with, "The footy is on, autumn leaves are falling, your extended family keeps growing – where are you getting most of your joy from at the moment?" Daniher responds, 'Well, firstly, against the odds, I am alive! So I'm grateful for that. And I am surrounded by a loving and growing family, supportive friends and fantastic carers. Being actively involved with FightMND gives me purpose. As they say, you only need three things for happiness – something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to.

The Bible also says a great deal about 'something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to'.

1. Something to do:
Responsibility lies in working for the Lord, whether it is in "looking after orphans or widows in distress" (James 1:27), giving to the hungry, the naked, visiting those in prison (Matthew 25:35), serving in our workplace or doing 'whatever we do' (Colossians 3:22-23).

2. Someone to love:
Corinthians 13:4-8 states, "Love is long-suffering and kind. It does not envy; does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth: bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

3. Something to look forward to:
Philippians 3:12-14: "I look forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God is calling us."

The challenge is set before us. Can we recognise the three things required for happiness in our day-to-day lives? We have God's work to do, those around us to love, and we look forward with hope.

PTO closes at 1pm on Friday 25 August 2023.

All interviews will be conducted via Zoom. If you have not done so already, please ensure you have either downloaded or emailed your interview bookings so that you have the Zoom link.

Log into PTO using your surname and password: https://www.flinders.vic.edu.au/pto

Click on the tab ‘Download / Email Bookings’ and choose your option.

If you have difficulties connecting, please contact the College Office on 9785 0000.

If your child travels on the College Bus before or after school, they are required to tap on and off using their Student ID Card. If they have misplaced their card and need to order a new one, please contact the Business Office on 9785 0000. Replacement Cards cost $10

Don’t forget to install the Crown Bus App – more information can be found on the College Website

Once you have installed the app and created your account, you will receive notifications when your child boards and disembarks the bus for each journey. You will be able to see the bus location during active runs and Crown will broadcast messages when the bus is running more than 10 minutes late.

If you have any queries about the College Buses please call the Business Office on 9785 0000.

P & F will be running a Father’s Day stall on Friday 1 September in the Rotunda. Gifts range from $2 to $10, with the popular $10 themed gift bags back.

Please send your child with money and a carry bag to purchase a gift next Friday.

If your child is competing in the District Athletics, they will have an opportunity to purchase their gift on Thursday afternoon.

Our Grade 3 to 6 students braved the elements at Casey Field Athletics track to compete in the annual House Athletics Competition.

Congratulations to Flynn House for winning the house shield.

The final results were:

1st Flynn House ( Green ) 1113

2nd Nicholls House ( Blue ) 950

3rd Cuthbert House ( Yellow ) 920

4th Ten Boom (Red ) 868

TUESDAY'S SECONDARY ASSEMBLY

Each term, one of the Houses runs an assembly with a particular theme and focus.

• In Term 1, Flynn’s assembly focused on Back Packs 4 Kids Vic as a Local Fundraiser.
• Term 2 was Nicholls’ turn with their links to a local indigenous community
• Earlier this week, Cuthbert ran their Mental Health and Wellbeing assembly as a prelude to their Activity Day on Thursday.

Tuesday’s Secondary assembly was developed by our Cuthbert Student leaders, along with our Wellbeing Captain. It was designed to be part 2 of a 2 part series with the previous assembly’s focus on Cultural Inclusivity. I was really thrilled with the quality of the presenters, the engagement of the students who watched/listened and the ongoing development of student agency in these events.

Highlights of the Assembly were as follows.

YEAR 8 YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE

The feedback from the Year 7&8 students from this 3 session course was overwhelmingly positive. A huge note of thanks to Emmy and Sammy – our Student Counsellors – who ran this course and then reviewed the feedback. We will now plan for follow up programs in 2024 given the success of this inaugural event

YEAR 11 PRESENTATION ‘DEB’ BALL

While the Secondary Staff have a student free day this coming Friday, there are 20 Deb couples who will be getting ready for their big night at The Grand on Princes in Mulgrave. These events are a great way to create memories beyond the classroom and I sincerely wish all of the students and their families all the best for the night. I look forward to co-hosting the night with Mrs Emanuel, Head of Nicholls House.

TERM 3 RRR HOUSE CHALLENGE

After this week, there are 2 more weeks of the competition, after which the winning House will be announced and a free lunch arranged.

The most up to date results are as follows: Week 6 results:

Cuthbert 457

Flynn 429

Nicholls 455

Ten Boom 461

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

UPCOMING TERM 3 & 4 HOUSE EVENTS:

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’.

Public Speaking

There are plans afoot to have a series of Public Speaking events – first in English classes and then overflowing into 2-3 of the Term 4 Secondary Assemblies. This ties in with the new Public Speaking club which has been established to build the capacity of students with this important skill.

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.

School Shoes

There is a growing trend evident amongst a number of students to wear black sports shoes rather than standard black leather lace up shoes with their uniforms. Just a heads up that the Campus Principal, Mr Watts, will be writing to parents to ask that this matter be resolved before the start of Term 4. Note that any student who needs to wear non-standard black shoes will be allowed to do so as long as a note from a medical professional is provided.

Regards

Geoff Grace, Head of Secondary

We are delighted to announce that Flinders is now a member of the Christian Initial Teacher Education (CITE) Alliance.

The CITE Alliance is a consortium of five Victorian Christian Schools that are committed to working in partnership with Eastern College Australia (ECA) to develop high quality, classroom- ready Christian teachers. A key feature of the CITE Alliance approach is to provide selected students with the opportunity to learn through continuous “on the job” training.

Consistent with the aim of assuring a supply of well-trained, Biblically informed teachers, from the start of 2024 CITE Alliance schools will be employing Trainee Teachers for two days each week. Two days of “embedded”, paid classroom practice will run alongside two days a week of attendance at an approved B.Ed. or M.Teach. course at ECA. A selected Trainee Teacher will be employed this way for the duration of their course, and will also have opportunities to undertake teaching rounds and tailored professional development activities inside and outside of the Alliance.

Year 12 students considering a teaching career are encouraged to consider applying for a CITE Traineeship, either at Flinders or another Alliance school. This week, we gave presentations about CITE to our Year 12 students at both campuses, the presentation can be accessed below.

Since ECA normally makes early offers of places on their teaching training courses in mid-to late September, students are recommended to express their interest in a CITE Traineeship through this link by Friday 1 September.

You can find more information about the ECA Open Evening on Friday 30 August below and you can also find out the process for Tertiary enrolment HERE

Despite rain and 12 degree temperatures, we had 73 Carrum Downs students and 33 Tyabb students compete at Casey Fields for the SIS Division A Athletics carnival on Tuesday 22 August. We are so proud of our students' efforts despite the challenging conditions, particularly many of our year 12 students taking time out of class to proudly represent the College and assist with the running of events. We are thrilled to announce that our U13 Girls won the Pennant with Flinders placing 5th overall.

Our combined campus netball program continues to thrive on a Friday afternoon in the Frankston & District Netball competition.

Whilst our players have endured wet, cold & windy conditions for playing this winter season, we are very much looking forward to the opening of their brand new stadium in a few weeks time.

The Flinders Netball program is open to secondary students of all abilities with competitions available for our beginners whilst also more challenging divisions for those with a little more experience. For more information, please contact natalie.chatfield@flinders.vic.edu.au

So, Term 3 is flying by and our next Have A Go Performance Night on Thursday 7 September is quickly approaching. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and hard work in a supportive environment. We encourage all our vocal and instrumental students to attend and ‘Have A Go’. If you would like to participate, please email Mrs Linda Harris at musiccarrumdowns@flinders.vic.edu.au

As part of our upper Secondary School Music, students will be attending an open rehearsal of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday 6 September. This is a very exciting opportunity designed specifically for students in this age bracket, to hear how a top-class performance is put together by world class musicians. Students will gain valuable insights into breaking down a work and building it into a cohesive and musical whole. We are very much looking forward to Flinders Christian Community College's participation in this event.

For our talented musicians that are a part of our Orchestras, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, Junior & Senior Choirs, please don’t forget your rehearsal times each week:

We encourage all members to attend rehearsals consistently to ensure each group's success.

For any general enquiries 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. We are excited to start rehearsals this week and are looking forward to a great production.

So, You Think You Can Dance Competition
Judging has taken place and we will be announcing our winners shortly.

Mini Popstars Primary School Holiday Workshop
Our school holiday workshop for students from Prep to Grade 6 will take place during 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. Closing date is Friday 8 September.

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 week B in Term 2 and Term 3 I have been working with Mrs North and Mr Greenwood in providing Grade 5 and Grade 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 enquiring 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.

Meet Mrs Mendolia
Mrs Mendolia has been performing for over 25 years, studying jazz, tap, ballet, and hip hop. In 2006, Mrs Mendolia graduated with a Diploma in Dance and Dance Teaching after 2 years of full-time dance.

Her professional appearances include the AFL Grand Final Opening Ceremonies, Channel 7’s Good Friday Gala Performances, Melbourne City’s Federation March and Commonwealth Welcome Home Parade,’ Puss in Boots with the Tivoli Theatre restaurant, and as Dancer/ Choreographer performed in several Elvis floorshows.

Mrs Mendolia played the role of Marcy Wills in Catchments’ ‘Witches of Eastwick’ and placed first in the A.T.O.D Ltd Senior Jazz scholarship for Victoria. She has performed in Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog and Captain Feathersword shows throughout Australia, as well as the Wiggles meets the orchestra DVD. She has travelled to Singapore, Manila and Qatar performing as Dora in ‘Dora the Explorer - search for the city of lost toys. She has choreographed for performances in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and America.

Mrs Mendolia has also completed her diploma in early childhood education and care and is currently studying for her degree. She has a passion for providing new learning experiences for young dancers and we are very lucky to have her at Flinders.

What a wonderful week AND A HALF we had for Book Week 2023.

Starting off the buzz with our amazing book parade. We even had some parents dress up as well ! Round of Applause to them!

We would like to say a BIG thank you to all the students and families that came and supported the library by coming and purchasing at the Book Fair. From the sales we were able to get $1150 of commission which will go towards new books for the library.
Thank you again for your support!

We also had two wonderful authors come and visit the Primary School students.... George Ivanoff and Coral Vass. As well as Book Art made in 3F with Mrs Franklin which are now on display in the library.

What a wonderful time had by all!

Mrs Treanor

This week a group of 20 students are raising funds to help business initiatives for women in the slums of India.

The Little India Fundraiser is headed up by Nicholls House Captain Chloe, as part of her final studies for VCE VM. Chloe has a heart for Missions and we commend her passion to make a difference in our College Community and beyond.

So far the students have raised over $4000 - you can sponsor one of our students or make a donation at

https://littleindiaflinders.raisely.com/

Belvedere Community Centre is a local not-for-profit organisation helping create a connected and confident community by offering all people a diverse range of community services, learning opportunities and resources for personal development.

Belvedere is a Learn Local provider and runs a range of pre-accredited Adult Education Classes which are government (ACFE) funded. Learn Local providers can help you get the skills you need for study, work and life. They offer a range of training programs to help you return to study, improve your digital, reading, writing and maths skills, gain a qualification, get a job, change careers or learn something new. There are many benefits to undertaking pre-accredited training at a Learn Local provider, such as making new friends, improving communication, or preparing for further learning or work. Completing pre-accredited training can also help you get new skills you need for your job or even change careers.

For more information, please visit https://www.belvedere.org.au