Jeff Davis
Executive Head of College
Executive Head of College, Jeff Davis, talks about the excitement of the new MLC outdoor area being open to students and the way students are thriving in the MLC learning spaces. He also touches on the new grassed area at the Castle, the hub of activity in the new Bus Library and the College musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, starting Wednesday, 10 March through to Saturday, 13 March.
Culture and Wellbeing
The college believes in supporting the whole child and as such the College provides various resources as part of our Culture and Wellbeing Team. This is a multi-disciplinary team focused on building and supporting Staff, Students and Families to understand what life looks like at Hillcrest through the lens of the SHIELD. Central to this is ensuring College systems and processes are in place to enhance the wellbeing of all community members. The College recognises that wellbeing encompasses the spiritual, social, emotional, academic and physical components of an individual and there is a collective impact of an individual’s wellbeing on the community.
Below you will meet our Counselling and Chaplaincy Team who work in conjunction with our Head of Culture and Wellbeing, Mrs Joy Geyer and our Head of Program Development Mrs Michelle Cecil.
Throughout the year, we will be sharing regular culture and wellbeing updates and various resources you may wish to access. Should you require support or further information, please contact us by emailing the PA to the Head of Culture and Wellbeing, Kaitlin Martin via kmartin@hillcrest.qld.edu.au. May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him. Romans 15:13
We look forward to connecting with you.
From the Director of the ELC
From the Head of the JLC
See You Later Summer! As we head into the first week of autumn, last week was a hive of activity in our JLC. Preps were excited to enjoy a fun filled day of activities and dress in their seasonal splendour as they said goodbye to summer for another year. Year 1 enjoyed the Tiny Traveller incursion, as they journeyed on a plane and bullet train to destinations around the globe; a unit tied to their Design Centred Learning (DCL) unit for Science and HASS, How do things change in different places?
On Thursday Years 3-4 participated in the first JLC Swimming Carnival at Somerset College which was a well organised, fun day of swimming and competition. Congratulations to Taylor House for winning overall! It was wonderful to see the effort of all students who participated and cheered for their houses on the day.
1st Taylor
2nd Flynn
3rd Carmichael
4th Green
This week our Year 1s were excited to have student doctors from Griffith University here to hold the annual Teddy Bear Hospital. Teddies large and small went through their routine health checks as each class entered the Teddy Bear hospital on Monday.
JLC Celebration Days continue to be held every Friday afternoon where Years 1-2 and Years 3-4 alternate their weeks as follows:
Week 7: Years 3-4 Celebration
Week 8: Years 1-2 Celebration
Easter is fast approaching and this year we will be holding a combined Gathering for Prep to Year 4 on the last day of term. Due to COVID restrictions, parents will not be able to attend the event. This is an important Gathering to mark the significance of Easter to our Christian community.
We also we look forward to seeing all our Prep to Year 2 students in their special Easter hats on Wednesday, 31st of March, our last day of school.
Have a wonderful week
Christy Gittins
Head of Junior Learning Community
Prep See You Later Summer!
What an incredible day our Preppies had for their first dress up Celebration Day. We enjoyed a special devotion from Chappy Nat about Jesus as our lifesaver. We then moved on to some team building and problem solving together as we played Cross the River on the deck, singing with Mrs Lewis, dancing with Miss ONeill and Summer craft with Miss Arnold. After a picnic lunch on our beach towels on the deck we splashed our way through the sprinklers on the oval and danced some more before finishing the day with part of an ocean themed movie to relax and rest after our busy day. What an incredible day of bonding and building relationship.
Year 1 Teddy Bear Hospital
On Monday 1 March, our Year 1 students brought their special teddy or soft toy to the Teddy Bear’s Hospital. The Teddy Bear Hospital is a local health initiative from HOPE4HEALTH which is a non-profit organisation founded by students from Griffith University Gold Coast. The program aims to remove any anxiety associated with visiting medical environments along with promoting healthy living through interactive workshops. Our Year 1s and their teddies learned about: healthy eating, visiting the doctor, exercise and being active, being sun smart and medicine safety.
Year 1 Tiny Travellers
Tiny Travellers visited Year 1 on Friday, 26 February to fly every child to Tokyo for a cultural experience. They also jumped on the bullet train to visit many of the what Japan is famous for. Year 1 DCL (Design Centred Learning) is looking at how different places change so the trip to Japan helped students to discover the differences in culture, food, clothing and seasons. We also learned some Japanese words.
Years 3-4 Swimming Carnival
On Thursday, 25 February, our Year 3-4 students enjoyed the very first JLC Swimming Carnival. It was fantastic to see so many kids jump in the water and have a go while earning points for their House. There was plenty of House spirit to see as students shouted out their chants, cheered on team mates and dressed up in House colours and costumes. Congratulations to Taylor House for taking out the win!
Year 4 Whip Dynamics
Brax Hannant conducted an impromptu show and tell in Year 4 with a cracking stockman’s whip. This led to a great discussion on what scientific explanation can inform us of why the cracking sound occurs and it has nothing to do with it hitting the ground hard. Well done Brax!
3/4 LUMOS Toy making
What was entertainment for children in the 1800-1900s?
Year 3/4 LUMOS students have been hard at work making toys! Their design project is to make a toy from yesteryear supported by a narrative from the toy’s point of view, a procedure and historical fact files. We have some very exciting projects underway and look forward to sharing the finished products.
From the Head of the MLC
This week I have asked my two Deputy Heads to share with you.
Student-led Conferences (SCs)
Students and teachers have been busily preparing over the last few weeks for the upcoming Student Conferences (SCs) in Weeks 7 and 9. While many students are very excited to share their learning goals with you, some students will no doubt find this experience a little confronting, especially if they are doing this for the first time. To assist your child, or continue the learning discussion at home, here are some helpful questions to ask your child about their progress:
- What are you most proud of?
- If you were the teacher, what would your advice be?
- How can I help you at home?
- How can your teacher help you?
- What steps do you need to take to reach your goals?
Your child’s Life Group teacher is looking forward to meeting with you and your child in Week 7 or 9. A reminder that the SC is an important part of students having ownership of their own learning, and as such we are asking all students to attend. You will also receive an interim report at the end of Term 1, which will be available in the Parent Lounge in the first week of the Easter holidays. If you haven’t already, please be sure to book in your for SC. Please refer to your College emails for booking information.
Sharing the SECRET
As part of our learning programs in the MLC, students learn how to develop the six SECRET Skills: Self-Manager, Effective Participator, Creative Thinker, Reflective Learner, Enquirer (Independent) and Team Worker. In 2018, the Gonski 2.0 report was released; this was a culmination of a review commissioned by the Federal Minister for Education to make recommendations on our current and future models of schooling. One of the five key recommendations was that every student needs to be equipped to grow and succeed in a changing world. This included suggestions such as revising the Australian Curriculum to place greater emphasis on the acquisition of general capabilities such as critical and creative thinking (Reflective Learner, Creative Thinker), personal and social capability (Self-Manager, Effective Participator, Team Worker) and ethical and cultural understanding (Enquirer). Here in the MLC, our students are already building the foundational skills in which to experience success in a dynamic, ever-changing world. From recognising that people have different ideas about things, to finding things out independently, to receiving and giving feedback, to taking on different roles within a team, to working on areas of both strength and weakness, students are continually being exposed to opportunities in which they can strengthen these skills. We are proud of the fact that here at Hillcrest we provide a future-focused education where students can develop these crucial skills as a part of their ‘every day’ learning.
Danni-Foster Brown
Deputy Head of MLC – Operations
Lockers
The new purpose-built locker area in the MLC provides Years 7-8 students with a safe place for their belongings during the day. It is vital that students keep their locker locked at all times to ensure that all contents are kept secure. If students have a mobile phone it is expected that they place this in their locker at 8.20am until the end if the day at 3pm. Mobile phones are not permitted between these hours unless it is for an approved College activity.
Uniform focus – Hair
A big thank you to all those students who are doing the right thing and have their hair cut and styled in a way that is consistent with the College Uniform Policy. Please go this link for more specifics.
Roy Jaques
Deputy Head of the MLC – Pastoral
MLC Mashup
On Wednesday, 3 March, the brand new MLC Courtyard hosted its very first MLC Mashup. It was a great opportunity for all students across Years 5-8 to enjoy the wonderful space and make new friends from other year levels. I really loved the MLC Mashup because I got to hang out with my friends and the games were super fun! My favourite activities were tug of war, Just Dance, Mario cart and going on the inflatables. At the end we got icy poles and played on the grass until our parents picked us up. I think it is definitely something that should happen again.
Written by Amelia Ballaban
Life Groups
Our Year 7-8 Life Groups are an important part of our community here in the MLC. Life Groups are a place where we can relax, make friends, and study God’s word together. Each Friday, we have “Fun Friday”, where each Life Group plays games of their choice, which is a great way to get to know each other. Life Group is a place we can go if we need help or guidance with anything. Here’s what the student’s think:
Keara – I love Life Group because we can freely connect with one another and share our stories.
Kwinn – I love Life Group because we get to hang out with our teacher.
Arielle – I like how I’ve connected with the Year 7s a lot.
Emily – I love getting time to relax after break time with friends.
Harry – I like spending time with my friends in this Life Group.
Year 5 DCL
Over the last couple of weeks, our Year 5 classes have listened to some special guest as they undertake their FUTURE FIRE FADERS Design Centred Learning (DCL). We were lucky to have an amazing and supportive community as students were able to listen and ask questions. Aaron Hennesy, local builder and dad at our school and Megan Cochrane, architect and Chappy Nats wife. The students learnt about how to design a house in a bushfire area, some of the strategies and materials which you need to adhere to when building in a fire zone and the various risks given to properties dependent on their location to the bush, their aspect and slope of the land and many other considerations.
On Wednesday, 3 March, our Year 5 students enjoyed a talk from Mrs Manderson on bushfire planning for her farm. Mrs Manderson is a staff member at Hillcrest, working in the administration offices. She arrived equipped with a large aerial picture of her property. She shared about her experience of preparing for a large bushfire approaching her farm, including some things they had done to make the house area safer, and some things they would be doing in the future. She also shared with students how she could make the choice to stay and defend the house rather than leave. More importantly she shared about the ongoing maintenance a farm requires to give her property the best chance of surviving bushfires, and spoke about the benefits for the ecosystem of slow, cool fires vs hot, fast fires. And in the end, that bushfire did not get her home and she was very thankful to God for looking after her property and keeping her safe.
Fuse Cup Victory & E-Sports
A big congratulations to our eSport team on their effort at The Fuse Cup Gold Coast Primary Schools Finals last week. The Fuse Cup is a safe, supportive and structured international esports competition for young gamers. It aims to develop positive gaming behaviours and digital wellbeing. Both Amelia and Stevie progressed to the Grand Final in dancing, with Amelia Ballaban (Year 5) winning overall to be the individual champion. The team will now represent the College at the Queensland State Finals in Term 4.
Well done to students Stevie Lappin (Yr 5), Amelia Ballaban (Yr 5), Emily Hook (Yr 6) and Genevieve Bowles (Yr 6).
If you are interested in E-Sports, this is the place for you! The MLC has opened a new E-Sports Club on Monday at Lunchtime for Years 7-8 and Wednesday lunchtime for Years 5-6 in the Level precinct. Come along and join in the fun this week!
From the Head of the SLC
How would you define your values? Before you answer this question, you need to know what, in general, values are. Your values are the things you believe are important in the way you live and work. They (should) determine your priorities, and, deep down, they’re probably the measures you use to tell if your life is turning out the way you want it to.
The College’s distinct set of values include: Integrity, Respect, Courage, Service, Humility, Diligence and Discernment. They define what is important in the way we work and interact at Hillcrest Christian College and as they have been written in order of importance, are a useful tool when we are trying to resolve a problem or dilemma. We are continually educating students on the meaning of these values and they are interwoven into the culture of care.
Integrity is about doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. The College encourage students to know ‘who’ and ‘whose’ they are by demonstrating behaviour that models this belief. We actively promote trustworthiness through our credibility, reliability, connection, and service. We choose excellence in all that we do in line with our personal purpose and values.
We will continue to revisit the meaning of each value at our weekly assembly. I encourage you to unpack the meaning of each value with your child and when correction and redirection is required at home, ask that you refer back to the College values. My desire is to journey with and provide support to each and every family as they move through the Senior Learning Community. Please do not hesitate to contact your son / daughter’s Head of House if you would like more information on the values of the College.
A large amount of students in the Senior Learning Community are commencing their assessment for this term. I wish them all the best as they complete their tasks. Please support them through this season by ensuring that they are allocating enough time to their studies, eating healthy and getting enough sleep. I pray that their results reflect the effort displayed.
Jason Day
Head of Senior Learning Community
Year 10 Hospitality
On Thursday, 4 March, Year 10 Hospitality students had the opportunity to put theory into practice as part of a barista course they are completing. They learned the art of making a great coffee as they took orders, ground beans, brewed the grind, frothed milk and combined these elements to make the perfect coffee.
These students will be making coffees at the school musical from Wednesday, 10 March, so come along and try one out!
Year 10 Geography Excursion
The Yr 10 Geographers went on an excursion to Pacific Fair and Broadbeach Parkland to develop their Geography skills in week 4. Students were given a set amount of time to complete as many challenges as possible. The tasks required a variety of skills like analysing, categorising, mapping, graphing and problem solving which are all vital in the Senior Geography journey. Each student did a fantastic job by getting involved, showing inclusiveness, respect and humility in all they did.
Year 12 Geography Excursion
The Year 12 Geographers went to Lamington National Park to investigate the impacts of the 2019 bushfires on the local environments. Students used a number of data collection skills and interviewed local park rangers and farmers to get an insight about the impacts of natural hazards on the pristine rainforests.
Year 12 Biology Excursion
On Wednesday the 3rd of March, the Year 12 Biology and Earth & Environmental Science students journeyed to the Binna Burra rainforest to gather data for their IA2 Student Experiment. They were hosted by Chris Audley and Brodie Verrall (Hillcrest 2009 graduate and current Griffith PhD student) from Second Nature Asia Pacific Tours. Both Chris and Brodie were fantastic with the students who both learned to identify rainforest (and bush tucker) plants while demonstrating biotic and abiotic data collection skills. The students ventured into both undisturbed and fire-damaged rainforest/Eucalyptus forest, braving stinging trees, wait-a-while vines and the odd leech or two.
The outcome now is that the students are well-positioned to complete their IA2 reports to a high standard.
Sports & Performing Arts
(“Make sure to buy tickets to this years musical”)
Thursday there are some good seats still available for this family-friendly timeslot.
This week we feature one of our narrators, Laila Chequer De Souza and Joseph, played by Bradley Adams.
College Musical – ON SALE NOW!
Tickets for our 2021 College musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” are NOW on sale. This incredible production features outstanding singers, actors, dancers and musicians from Years 8-10, and will be spectacular. Don’t miss this production with modern twists and local Gold Coast influences. Use the QR code in the poster or CLICK HERE to order tickets.
First Choir Rehearsal (SLC)
On Thursday, 4 March, our SLC Choir had its very first rehearsal bringing in many familiar faces as well as some new faces! We enjoyed some warm up activities such as the Hokey Pokey, some brain exercises to increase concentration, and we sung some familiar songs. It was great to see so many students come along and enjoy themselves.
Choral Excellence Camp Montage
Student Achievements
Regional Swimming Carnival Success
Congratulations to Year 12 student Gideon Burns who competed at the Regional Swimming Competition on 1 March. Gideon represented Hillcrest Christian College, as part of the Hinterland Green Group. He competed and placed in five events, as follows:
- 200m IM – 1st Place and State Qual time
- 50m BRS – 2nd Place and State Qual time
- 50m FREE 4th Place, New PB and State Qual time
- 100m BRS 1st Place (New Regional record & State Qual time)
- 200m BRS 1st Place (New Regional record & State Qual time)
Gideon has qualified to represent Hillcrest Christian College in five state events, which are to be held in Brisbane. Gideon is very proud to represent his school and greatly appreciates all of the support he has received from his teachers and cohort. We are super proud of your efforts Gideon.
General News
New Parents Dinner
- Wednesday 17 March 2021
- 6.30pm for a 7pm start in the SLC Courtyard
- Please RSVP by Friday 12 March 2021
Key Dates
Tutoring
Supervised Study Sessions (with Teachers)
Teachers in certain faculties will offer supervised study sessions for their classes on a weekly basis, and will communicate this with their individual classes. These sessions will run from week 5 to week 8 in the Resource Centre.
Tutoring (University Student Tutors)
The Senior Learning Community provides a ‘Tutoring Program’ for students in Years 7-12. This is a free service and an excellent opportunity for small groups to support and learn from each other with the guidance of Student Tutors. The Tutors are some of our top academic Hillcrest Alumni who are currently studying at various Universities. During Term 1, Student Tutors will be available for assistance with Mathematics, Science, English and Humanities subjects predominantly. ‘University Student Tutor Sessions’ will take place from week 5 to week 8 in the Hillcrest Resource Centre as follows:
- 1:00 -1.40pm – Lunchtime (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
- 3:00 – 4:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
- 3:00 – 5:00pm Thursdays
Online Tutoring (University Student Tutors)
Tutors can include 1 x student via Teams online while in a group session. The ‘online’ option will be set up with the ability to book 20-minutes during the afternoon sessions as outlined above. Mr Wotton (Tutoring Coordinator) will advise as soon as the booking system is active. If you have any questions regarding the student tutors, please contact Mr Paul Wotton in the Resource Centre or email pwotton@hillcrest.qld.edu.au
Peter Fernance – Deputy Head Senior Learning Community – Academics
Danni Foster-Brown – Deputy Head of Middle Learning Community – Alignment
Paul Wotton – Head of Resource Centre / SLC Tutoring Coordinator