Our theme for 2019 is “Together We Are Stronger”. Throughout the year we have been working on ways to further strengthen our relationships and connection as a community of learners. At a recent staff devotion, I discussed how a redwood forest can explain how we develop strength as a community. If a redwood tree grew on its own there is no way it could stay standing during a storm or flood. Redwood trees are too tall and too thin to be able to withstand the forces of nature. Compounding their weakness is that their roots are very shallow. The secret to their success is the strength of the forest. The roots of each tree spread wide and interlock with each other. Often, they will fuse to create an unbreakable bond. Therefore, redwood trees face the challenges of nature as a community not as individuals. This provides a wonderful and challenging picture of how we should invest in and strengthen our bonds of friendship. Our culture is often characterised by individualism and competition. God calls us to embrace a different reality – a reality that provides greater resilience and hope that no matter what storm we face it is in community where our strength can be found.

5 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. - 1 Corinthians 12: 25-27.

Monday 21 October

1. Year 12 final assembly

Tuesday 22 October        

1. Junior school chapel (2P performing)

2. Swimming for grades 4 and 5

3. Year 12 muck up day

4. Year 12 Valedictory dinner

5. Year 10 start smart incursion

6. Flinders Intensive Basketball Training 7:30am-8:30am

Wednesday 23 October

1. Grade 3 camp departs

Thursday 24 October

1. Grade 3 camp returns

2. Years 9, 10 and 11 media incursion (animation workshop)

3. SIS Junior Weekly Sport Round – Round 2 

Friday 25 October

1. CSEN championships carnival

2. Swimming for grades prep to grade 3

3. Flinders Swim Squad Training 7:20am – 9.00am

4. SIS Intermediate Weekly Sport – Round 2

Monday 28 October

Tuesday 29 October

1. Flinders Intensive Basketball Training 7:30am-8:30am

Wednesday 30 October

1. VCAA English Examination

Thursday 31 October

1. VCAA Written Examinations

2. SIS Junior Weekly Sport Round – Round 3

Friday 1 November 

1. VCAA Written Examinations

2. Flinders Swim Squad Training 7:20am –9.00am

3. SIS Intermediate Weekly Sport – Round 2

4. Flinders Swim Squad Training 7:20am –9.00am

An information night will be held in March 2020 which will include details of the places you will visit and costs involved. 

We are looking for expressions of interest to attend our trip to China from 14 to 24 September 2020. The invitation is open to students from year 9 to year 12 and extended to include some interested parents.

If you would like to keep informed with regards to information nights etc please email the PA to the Principal via relly.bruce@flinders.vic.edu.au

Keegan Du Preez, a current Flinders year 12 student and also one of our College Captains, is offering to provide your child/ren the opportunity to improve their study methods and skills by incorporating basic key elements that will help enhance your child’s knowledge and memory. These tutoring lessons run every Monday to Thursday afternoon from 15:30 to 16:30 in the school library located at the rear of G block. He offers  services to students from year 5 to year 12. These sessions will consist of broadening your child’s capabilities to remember and apply the learned knowledge with minimal difficulty. Keegan works closely with the school’s teachers to receive as much knowledge about where your child’s needs are to improve their experience and ultimately their grades. 

For more information please contact Keegan directly on 0417122719 or via email kdupreez20@ga.flinders.vic.edu.au or  dupreez110@gmail.com

A note for parents…

In August some of our staff attended the 4th annual Resilient Kids Conference at the Crossway Centre in Burwood.  This was a Saturday conference designed for parents and educators who were interested in hearing from some of Australia’s leading experts regarding some of the biggest concerns children today are facing.
The book ‘Raising Resilient Kids’ was produced as a result of previous conferences as a resource for parents and educators.  I recommend this conference and book to all our parents and teachers.  The following is from Chapter 1: How to build happy and resilient kids by Michael Carr-Gregg.

Resilience is one’s ability to bounce back from negative experience.  Resilience is not a rare ability; it is found in the average individual and it can be learned and developed by virtually anyone.  Resilience should be considered a process, rather than a trait to be had.  It is a process of individualization through a structured system with gradual discovery of personal and unique abilities.

A common misconception is that resilient people are free from negative emotions or thoughts and remain optimistic in most or all situations.  To the contrary, resilient individuals have, through time, developed proper coping techniques that allow them to effectively and relatively easily navigate around or through crises.  In other words, people who demonstrate resilience are people with an optimistic attitude and positive emotionality and are, by practice, able to effectively balance negative emotions with positive ones.

If you would like to know more about the Resilient Kids Conferences go to www.raising resilientkids.com.au or the book ‘Raising resilient Kids’ online.

Skye Fire Brigade Open Day

Christmas Twilight Market

Closing times for Melbourne Cup weekend

Art Attack is back for Term 4!
When: Friday afternoons from 3:30-4:30pm. The program will run for 9 sessions in Term 4.
Please note the program will not run on Friday the 22nd of November.
Where: Junior School Art Room (J01).

Cost: $150 per student.
To enroll you child inquire with Yolanda Barnes at creativeexperienceart@gmail.com 
Places are limited and only secured with payment.

Parents & Friends will be raising money for our school by running Icy Pole Fridays.

If your child would like an icy pole, please send them with $1 on Fridays.

On Tuesday 29th October, Lily from Year 9 along with Skyla and Zali from Grade 4 are cutting their hair and donating it to the Alopecia Foundation. On this day there will be lollies and donuts for sale along with hair accessories and hair styling for a small amount. If you would like to support this day, please send your child with some loose change.

Year 9 and 10 Media Students have the opportunity to attend an Animation Workshop on the 24th October as a part of their Media Studies program. Students will engage in Animation Workshops to learn the production process of stop motion animation. Students will have the opportunity to then produce their own animation.

Exams are coming from Friday 15 to Thursday 21 November. 

To minimise stress, try these handy tips to prepare and give yourself the best chance of success:

 

·         Don’t study in a group – you’ll be easily distracted, unless your friends are very focused on studying for exams.

·          Create a study nest at home – it needs to be quiet, free of distractions and comfortable. Leave your phone in another room.
·          Get it All Out – make sure you have all your notes and handouts and chase up things that are missing.
·         Turn notes into flash cards – they are much easier to read and quicker to look through.

·         Have healthy snacks – stay away from junk food. The best foods are popcorn, bananas, apples, peanut butter, milk and whole grains.
·         Narrow your focus – identify the most important topics. Study that first.
·         Take regular breaks – ideally, take 15 minutes off after every hour of study. But don’t just sit there; get up and move! Go for a walk. Otherwise, do something that will top up your ‘happiness’ meter.
·         Practice sample questions – you should be able to anticipate what sort of questions are on the exam. Write your own examples, answer them and show your teacher. They’ll be really impressed!

·         Get a good night’s sleep – it’s true all the time but most important the day before an exam. 

You are cordially invited to this event, which occurs during Periods 5 and 6 (1.35 – 3.15 p.m.) This Assembly is a formal school occasion, not a fancy dress or “muck up” event. Students will be presented and there will be a special guest, so proper uniform (with blazer) needs to be worn. Students will be reminded that this is a normal school day, with the normal lesson timetable, attendance and uniform expectations.

House Keeping and Muck Up Day Preparations

Students who have not already done so should clear and clean their lockers by the end of the day on Monday, 21st October. After school, students will have the opportunity to set up their activities for “Muck Up Day”, and there will be a barbecue when students can socialise with each other and their teachers.  The evening should conclude at 7.00 p.m.

Year 12 Final Day Before Study Leave – Tuesday, 22nd October

This is the students’ opportunity for some end-of-school silliness, but please note that all mess must be cleaned up by the students by 10.30 a.m.  Year 12s will have supervised access to school from 7.30 a.m. Festivities conclude with a morning tea during recess (10.40 – 11.10 a.m.)  Students need to demonstrate restraint and respect, in order to avoid damage to property, upset to other members of the school community (especially Primary students and their parents), and the disruption of teaching and learning for classes in other year levels. Year 12 students are required to be off-campus by 11.15am.

Access to Teachers

After the final day, Year 12 students are not only welcomed but encouraged to come into school to undertake private or group study, or for tutorials with their teachers in preparation for their examinations. However, we remind them that Senior School teachers are often deployed to other duties after Year 12 Study leave begins. It is therefore essential that students arrange meetings with their teachers by appointment, rather than just dropping in. Students attending such meetings are also required to be in uniform and to sign in and out at the Senior School Office.

This is a wonderful celebration and is stage-managed so that guests are fed at sensible times! For this to happen, the event needs to start promptly. The year level photograph will be taken at 6.15pm sharp and cannot be delayed for late-comers. We would also ask that parents avoid hindering or obstructing the photographer as he sets up the group shot, since this can cause significant delays in getting guests into the venue and seated. The dinner is a “dry” event.

The prefect team has worked hard with the year level to decide, on, and purchase, a “thank you gift” as contribution to the school community. This year we are delighted that one of the Senior VCAL Personal Development Strand groups has built three beautiful picnic tables and six matching benches as the Class of 2019’s gift to the College.  The tables will be fitted with plaques indicating that it is the legacy of the “Class of 2019”.

This year, the Senior VCAL team have worked on several different projects.  Each project has raised the bar for what the students are achieving and every student has learnt valuable work-related skills in the process.

Here is a snapshot of all the final (Term 3) projects the Year 12s have run:
Wellbeing Day at Dandenong West Primary School – Cherie, Miranda, Talia.  Teaching Year 6 girls the importance of self care.  The students built on the partnership created through the Semester 1 SANCSS project, sourced donations of beauty products, and organised the day.
Planter Boxes for Dandenong West Primary School.  Rory, Lachlan, Brandon.  The team built on the partnerships already established with Dandenong West Primary School and the Pine’s Men’s Shed.  The designed, built and installed planter boxes at Dandenong West Primary School to provide shade for all the students.
AFL Community Partnership.  Jesse & Luke.  A partnership between Flinders Christian Community College primary school and Bulldogs to promote AFL with students new to the game.  Jesse & Luke also developed a partnership with AFLW to promote diversity in sport and invited a guest speaker to present to the Senior footy teams on diversity.
Living with Autism.  Mason built a partnership with a young man and invited him to speak to staff within the school about what it is really like to live with autism.  The session run by Daniel Trew and organised by Mason was exceptionally well attended.  Staff were incredibly grateful to hear Daniel’s story and to gain more understanding of autism.
Year 12 Legacy item.  Pat, Alex, Seth.  This team partnered with the Year 12 prefect team to build this year’s Year 12 legacy item.  The team worked with Pine’s Men’s Shed to build a set of three outdoor picnic tables and matching seats.  The team were incredibly committed to their project, even attending school in their own time to complete the project.  The quality of the workmanship is exceptional.  The boys learnt a lot about their trade and they have also left a lasting legacy to the school.

You are warmly invited to the Music Department "Have a Go" Performance Night on Thursday 24th October 2019. The aim is to provide a supportive audience environment, for our instrumental students to perform in. While instrumental student participation is optional, the night is highly recommended to help develop performance skills.

Please visit our Community Portal at https://community.flinders.vic.edu.au
to RSVP for performing students as well as family members. If you cannot locate your login details or have any difficulty logging in, please contact the

College at cdreception@flinders.vic.edu.au
or on 9785 0000. 

Our Sailing team offered to students in Yr 5 – 10 for Friday 29th November @ the Safety Beach Sailing Club. Please contact Natalie Chatfield Natalie.chatfield@flinders.vic.edu.au

Monday 28th October - Open to Year 7-12 Carrum Downs and Tyabb Students. A day full of tennis with Boys and Girls Trophies to be won! Register with Mrs. Cosgrave shay.cosgrave@flinders.vic.edu.au

Our Flinders Swim Squad for Term 4 begins on Friday 25 October. We will start off at PARC Frankston for two weeks then we will transfers to The Pines. Swim Squad is on Friday mornings from 7:20am. Corey Snyders is the specialist Flinders College Swimming Coach, Corey’s knowledge and expertise have been crucial in the recent success of the College at SIS. The cost is $60.00 per person and you can pay via the portal.