"But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"
Matthew 19:26 NIV
Jeff Davis
Executive Head of College
The first few weeks of Term 3 have placed us all in positions of stress as we pivot to respond to the changing situation with the Delta variant of Covid-19. From the snap lockdown to the border closure, we have all found ourselves in varying degrees of stress related to the uncertainty of the path ahead, and the promise of a return to normality. As a College, we have worked tirelessly to find ways to ensure that our students have been able to continue in their learning journey without a break and that the entire community is kept updated with the decisions that we have been making on a daily basis. This has proven to be very difficult as each day brings new challenges and obstacles in our desire to provide the best possible outcomes for all members of the community.
In saying this, I want to commend the Hillcrest staff to you. They have been adapting and working overtime to ensure the continuity of learning programs and many other things that occur normally throughout the week. Many are doing this under the stresses of running their own families who may have also been disrupted from their regular routines. I am proud to lead such a dedicated group of people who feel called to work in this community where they can serve and live their faith, especially at times like these where the world seems to be falling apart. They do this as their service to God. The most amazing part of living out a faith is knowing that we represent Christ every day and if we can show His love in what we do then others will also see this as well. I am proud to lead this incredible team of dedicated individuals who are doing an amazing job. We don’t get it right all the time, but in this season of difficulty and frustrations, their work, care and overall effort has been above reproach. If you see them, please offer your thanks. I know this would be greatly appreciated.
The Government has just released some further updates to the current Covid restrictions for the upcoming week. These will affect some aspects of the school, but in the main, much will remain the same including;
- Staff must continue to wear masks at school
- Students in Years 7-12 must continue to wear masks at school
- Social distancing must be observed at school with a 4m2 per person rule still in place
- Community sport will resume from Saturday 28 August, however training and practice for these sports can resume from next week
- The NSW border remains closed to staff and students
After consideration of the events planned ahead, the College Executive have made some important decisions in regards to the Year 12 Formal (in consultation with the students) and the end of year MLC and SLC Celebration events. The Year 12 Formal will now be held at the College. This will provide students with the greatest certainty of an event being held as there are many different options that all meet and exceed COVID restrictions as they currently stand.
The College end of year Celebration events for the MLC and SLC have been merged into a single event. This is once again in response to possible COVID restrictions and ensuring that the new program for this single event is agile and able to be moved or transformed in response to restrictions that may exist at that time. We will still be ensuring that all student award winners are recognised and appropriately celebrated at this amazing event.
The Executive Team at Hillcrest are continuing to monitor the current situation and make the necessary changes to ensure that the College can continue to operate effectively throughout the restrictions and lockdowns that we are currently facing. We have classes now running at school and home for the students in NSW and some staff are delivering their lessons online due to not being able to get to the school. While this is not ideal, it seems to be working very well so far this week. If you have any ideas of how we can improve what we are doing, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are very happy to receive your ideas and see if they can provide possible improvements to our response.
As we go about the week ahead, lets continue to pray for one another as a community, as we journey this season together.
Blessings
Culture and Wellbeing
Instilling Hope in Uncertain Times
Although life is always filled with uncertainty, the levels we are currently experiencing are unprecedented and it is becoming evident that this is taking a toll on our young people. The most recent research from Mission Australia makes clear the breadth and depth the pandemic is having on our youth across the nation. It appears that lockdowns and tighter restrictions will be with us for some time, but it is important in such times of uncertainty to instil hope and remain optimistic. Adult carers can play a vital role in helping young people reframe their worries, encouraging them to see life as it is and helping them to focus more on the things they can control, rather than those they can’t. It’s important young people remain connected with their social networks during these times as often their natural response to uncertainty is to exhibit varying degrees of fear and anxiety. With the continued disruptions, mental health concerns are on the rise and it is evident that many students may need some extra support to achieve their goals. Parents can help their kids focus more on the good bits in their life, rather than fill in the blanks with catastrophic narratives. This Special SchoolTV Report outlines how adult carers can help instil hope and offer support in such times of uncertainty. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this special report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the College for further information or seek medical or professional help. Here is the link to your special report:
Senior Learning Community
Middle Learning Community
Junior Learning Community
If your young person wishes to talk to someone outside of the family unit, encourage them to call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 – anytime, any reason. Alternatively, they can chat online at kidshelpline.com.au.
From the Director of the ELC
At Hillcrest Christian College Kindy, our service views play as the important work of children. We believe that our play-based and inquiry-approach curriculum enables our children to investigate and explore their world through the wide variety of experiences and opportunities within our learning environment.
“The investigative case-based learning approach is a method of learning and teaching that gives students opportunities to direct their own learning as they explore the science underlying realistically complex situations.”
Investigative play stations are set up throughout the environment indoors and out. These may be construction, sensory play, writing, numeracy or any topic that aligns with our current program.
Children have the time, space and resources to become deeply involved in their investigations. Learning is richer and more effective when it develops over time and when there are opportunities for planning and reflection throughout the experience.
The physical environment contains materials and spaces that encourage curiosity, investigation and wonder. Interesting and engaging materials or resources can provide the stimulus for children’s questions and investigations. It is also important to ensure that children can access the materials and resources that they need easily and quickly. When this happens, they are able to resource their own learning and to follow their own investigations in whichever direction they lead.
Educators see themselves as co-learners, working with children as they learn. When this happens educators feel less focused on transmitting knowledge and are more likely to support and extend children’s own attempts at understanding.
Alicia Shields
Director of Early Learning Community
From the Head of the JLC
In this Newsletter our Deputy Head of the JLC, Damien Taylor, shares about developing a skills framework for our students.
Christy Gittins
Head of Junior Learning Community
When I reflect on what I used to imagine a school of a future would look like I thought of a school where students arrived in flying cars, personal robotic assistants, hoverboards in the playground, and excursions to the moon all entertained my childhood thoughts. What I didn’t envision was mask wearing lockdowns and learning at home. However, in the Bible, Matthew 6:25-26 reminds us to not worry and to trust God, as he feeds us what we need. (quote)
This verse has inspired me even more than seeing my childhood vision of a “school of the future” and ‘feeding’ on what God has provided through the amazing innovation and adaptability of the students in the present. While challenging, our students are developing a variety of skills and attitudes which will be a resource to draw upon when they get older.
Students in Years 3 and 4 have enjoyed discussing and developing their SECRET SKILLS. We spent some time gathered in the Theatre, engaging in a masterclass of the SECRET SKILLS and their significance in our education and beyond. Looking at the ‘why’ of SECRET Skills, becoming more familiar with them, exploring the notion of mastery of skills.
We also explored ways we can demonstrate and evaluate these skills throughout our learning and look for ways of doing these through the lens of our College Values. Students also have commenced creating their own SECRET Skills portfolio to monitor and further develop these skills along with supporting their peers.
Student Leadership
JLC students have been exploring the concept of Student Action Teams. Rather than a traditional view of a leader we have moved their concept to what JLC student leadership now looks like. As a College, we believe leadership extends beyond being a ‘badged’ leader, or even being a ‘House Captain’. Student Leadership in the JLC is about student advocacy and voice whereby students actively participating in decision-making on things that shape their educational experiences.
Student advocacy is more than just students ‘having a say’ and ‘being heard’. To be successful, we must value the perspectives and opinions of students and act on them in a way that genuinely shapes learning and decision-making at the school, guided by staff from a biblical worldview. Students have begun to put the Student Action Teams in place from running activities for younger students in the break time to looking for ways to show good stewardship around the college. As we nurture and guide our students, we know this will strengthen relationships, foster deeper sense of belonging, increase student engagement and participation.
Although our Grandparent Day event was cancelled, it was wonderful to see Prep to Year 2 students dressed in their costumes. The Preps and Year 1 looking like a Nursery Rhyme book come to life, whilst our Year 2s looked rather cool in their black t-shirts and sunnies! We plan to use some of these Grandparents day items in our future JLC Community Celebrations and will keep you informed.
Damien Taylor
Deputy Head of Junior Learning Community
What’s been happening in the JLC
100 Days of Prep
In the last few weeks, the youngest members of our Junior Learning Community celebrated 100 days of Prep! They participated in lots of fun activities, all 100-themed. The kids painted themselves at 100 years old, had 100 bits of Lego or puzzle pieces to make a creation, they received a certificate for their 100 days of learning and they made hats displaying that they are 100 days brighter. The kids had a lot of fun and reflected up all they have learned in their 100 days of Prep.
Year 4 transition to MLC
Our Year 4 students have started their visits to the MLC on a Friday afternoon in preparation for entering the MLC next year. Friday, 30 July, was their first visit where they were introduced to the Year 5/6 learning spaces, new devices and the breakout rooms. Regular visits will help prepare students to take on the challenges that come with a new learning environment in a new learning community.
Year 4 10Cent Tom
Year 4HC had a visit from 10Cent Tom where students learned more about recycling and entrepreneurship. 10Cent Tom has not only an environmental and recycling mission but also has a goal to own a recycling business that employs people with disabilities. Year 4 students also practiced their negotiation and persuasion skills (a recent topic) successfully persuading Mr Davis to buy a 10cent Tom recycling bin for the class to manage. The bin will be located at the Cow Shed for the Year 3s and 4s to recycle their cans and bottles. Well done 4HC!
Prep Flare English
This term a selection of Prep students began Flare English. First, they used research skills to study the amazing author Dr. Seuss. Next, they discovered how Dr. Seuss created characters through language and illustrations, and how rhyming schemes were commonly used in each book.
In the coming weeks students will be designing their own unique characters and developing poems to accompany these.
Year 4 Science Week
Year 4 is learning about forces and motion as part of physics in the science curriculum this term. We are exploring flight, what is required for flight to occur and the concepts that influence it. It was exciting to watch videos of birds and how their God-given adaptations help them to fly in different ways across different birds. God’s design in these amazing creatures is incredible. For millenniums, birds have been the masters of flight whereas humans have only recently in comparison been able to emulate it somewhat. Thus Year 4 moved on to considering how we could ‘fly’ paper planes and what different adjustments and changes do to their flight behaviour. There is much to explore over the coming weeks regarding this but one thing is for sure, God’s handiwork and design in creation gives us inspiration in our daily lives in so many ways.
3KM Science Devotions
In 3KM we’ve been talking in class about ‘big emotions’ and how they can bubble over when we don’t learn to manage them or put strategies in place. So for science week we decided to combine this as part of our morning devotions as well as a science experiment by looking at a visual example of this. The kids put their ‘frustrations’ (bicarbonate soda) into a balloon. Then they bottled it up by placing the balloon over a bottle with vinegar in it. As the frustrations fell into the bottle, the balloon started to expand.
“A person who does not quickly get angry shows that he has understanding. But a person who quickly loses his temper shows his foolishness.” Proverbs 14:29
Grandparent’s Day
It was so disappointing to have to cancel our annual Grandparent’s day at the end of July. Grandparent’s are such an important part of our lives so we decided to celebrate them anyway. Students still came to school dressed in their costumes and participated in an array of activities to celebrate their grandparents. There were drawings of grandparents, cards made for them, students shared pictures with the class, we learned what kids love about them, and played some games about grandparents. Please see below for a link to videos and Gallery.
From the Head of the MLC
What a difference a few weeks make
Back in Week 2, we were refining our Learning at Home policies and procedures to be ready for the potential of a lockdown through the year. Today I am writing this article while we have a small number of students in NSW living through a lockdown and I feel blessed to be in a College like Hillcrest where we can pivot and support our students’ learning journey.
Our existing one2one program has allowed staff and students to seamlessly move into an online environment when needed. I want to thank our students for their diligence while self-directing their learning and our staff for their service to your children in providing such a high quality product with little lead-in time to prepare. The agility, grit and determination shown by the Learning Community is a credit to all and I couldn’t be happier with how we have reacted to the uncertainty during this term. Please keep the NSW based members of our community in your prayers and we hope to have them back on QLD soil soon.
Does PBL really work?
I was reading some research on Edutopia last week that followed two studies of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in American High Schools. It was interesting to see that the research suggested that students who learn through a PBL approach receive higher grades while also demonstrating a deeper connection and engagement to the learning.
“It may seem counterintuitive that a student-centred approach is effective in an environment that’s so focused on high-stakes testing, but the results suggest otherwise.”
It is always reassuring to read articles such as this as it highlights the benefits of a PBL approach, which we value in the MLC. Our approach to PBL, known as Design-Centred Learning, is helping students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally connected projects. Collaboration is at the heart of the model and drives students in groups through a ‘Design Thinking’ framework known as the six8s. Through empathy and learning about audience, students start at the Investig8 phase and move through refining, testing and evaluating phases before finishing at the Celebr8 phase, creating a public product or presentation for a real audience.
This approach to learning is fostering engagement and deep thinking in our students and if we review data from schools that have been implementing these models over a period of time, the results speak for themselves. The final takeaway from the research article I was speaking of is compelling:
“In two gold-standard, randomized, controlled trials of thousands of students in diverse school systems across the U.S., project-based learning significantly outperformed traditional curricula, raising academic performance across grade levels, socioeconomic subgroups, and reading ability.”
Darren Rackemann
Head of Middle Learning Community
What’s been happening in the MLC
Year 6 Eye Opening Experience
In the last week of Term 2, 6 Lumos explored the biological structure of an eyeball by dissecting a cow’s eye. Finding new parts of the eye, like the retina (a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye) and the optic nerve which sends electrical signals to the brain to help you see. Before doing the investigation, we learned a few things to make sure we had an idea of what we could analyse and discover in the dissection. All of this took place in a laboratory in the SLC, where in partners, we had the opportunity to examine the parts of an eye. We discovered many new things, including the ghastly smell of a cow’s eye. Some found this exploration fascinating and enjoyable while others found it more of a disgusting experience. But the whole class learned something and enjoyed a new experience.
PJ Day to raise funds for Effective Aid
There was a sea of Oodies, onesies and flannels on Friday, 30 July when students and staff came to school dressed in their PJs. Gold coin donations went towards raising funds for Effective Aid. During morning tea and lunch, senior students also ran a food stall to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctors, which MLC students were able to attend.
Learning at Home
We certainly had a change of pace as students and teachers transitioned to online learning last week. This did not slowed the learning down though as our teachers got creative and presented some really fun lessons online for the kids. Below are pictures showing online learning at the College, including Mrs Coutts and Mrs Seton presenting a practical lesson on light refraction for Year 5 students at home.
Real Talk
On Tuesday, 17 August, Year 5 took part in an engaging and inspiring presentation, delivered by ‘Real Talk’, as part of our Health studies. We enjoyed the personal approach which educated, equipped and empowered students with the skills necessary to navigate sensitive and delicate areas such as self image, social media, puberty and friendships. We enjoyed the stories and life lessons of the presenters, and were given the chance to reflect and share our experiences, too. It was educational and fun, and a valuable session for our Year 5 students.
Mars Rover Celebration
As part of DCL, Year 5 students studied the conditions of Mars and the current exploration done by the Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers. They collated research about the composition, gravity and weather of Mars, and the design features and materials used on the current Mars Rovers. Finally students designed their own prototype Rovers and used SPIKE lego to build and code them. SECRET skills developed through this unit included: Self Manager (Go for it Finish It) as students persevered through a variety of challenges to complete a course, and Reflective Learner (Share Learning) as students learned from their mistakes and taught others how to overcome coding challenges. This week students shared their DCL with 3/4 LUMOS, 2SR and 2JT. They enjoyed displaying their work and teaching younger students about the conditions of Mars, their Rovers and their coding journey.
Year 7 Visual Art: ‘Lost Thing’ projects
We are looking forward to displaying these amazing sculptures made by year 7s at the upcoming Art and Choral Extravaganza in Term 4, on Thursday, 7 October. Concept: Lost Thing Stimulus: Shaun Tan’s ‘The Lost Thing’ Students investigated the creative process of Shaun Tan to develop ways to enhance their intentions as artist. They practised using art elements and principles, techniques and processes to enhance their creative ideas and representation of their own ‘Lost Thing’ creature. TASK: Create a ceramic sculpture of a ‘Lost Thing’ creature using symbolic representation.
MLC Lockdown Olympics
During our Learning at Home week in Week 4, the MLC made the most of the situation through our very own Lockdown Olympics! The teacher Olympics, hosted by Ned Forrester (aka Chappy Nat), showcased athletes Max Power (Mr Skinner), Janvier Lavigne (Mrs Lavigne), Jordana Carbonara (Ms Lamb) and Davo Boxall (Mr Hagar), and humorously inspired students to create their own Lockdown Olympics video at home. After students submitted their videos, teachers watched all the incredible submissions and selected a winner from each house. A few video highlights and the winners were celebrated during our virtual Closing Ceremony themed assembly on Wednesday. A big congratulations to the following winners: Leo Stockwell (Carmichael), Vincent Churches (Flynn), Levi Moore (Greene) and Maddie McNeish (Taylor)!
Free Parent Information Sessions
Earlier this year, the team from Elevate Education ran two Study Skills sessions with Years 7-8 students, as well as a parent session in Term 1. As part of their ongoing support, we are pleased to announce that Elevate run online parent sessions free of charge, on a range of topics.
Upcoming webinar: Wednesday 1 September – Exam Homestretch and how to support your child in the final weeks.
Parents can register for these sessions here: webinar registration page
The webinar is run live online from 7–8pm, where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask questions. Should you like to contact Elevate directly, their details are listed below.
📞 1300 667 945
✉️ auscoaching@elevateeducation.com
💻 au.elevateeducation.com
👍 www.facebook.com/ElevateEd/
MLC Athletics Awards
MLC Athletic Carnival Results
On Wednesday, in their life groups, all MLC students watched live as the results of the MLC athletic carnival were announced. Cheering could be heard in the studio in the MLC courtyard as each life group celebrated their members as they were announced as age champion or school record breaker.
The biggest cheers were heard for Carmichael as they were very deserving winners of the House Spirit award as well as the overall Champion House for athletics going to… Taylor.
MLC Athletics Results
House Points
961 – Taylor
850 – Greene
777 – Flynn
704 – Carmichael
Record Breakers
200m 10yrs Girls Jaime Charles 32.62 seconds
1500m 12yrs Girls Ava O’Connor 7.13.00
Discus 10yrs Girls Jaime Charles 15.36m
High Jump 10yrs Boys Jake Davison 1.23m
Shot Put 12yrs Boys Emmanuel Adeleye 12.21m
Aged Champions
| Under 10 – Girls 1. Ayla Stripp 2. Jaime Charles 3. Skyla Browne |
Under 10 – Boys 1. Brooklyn Street 2. Jake Davison 3. Cooper Donkin |
| Under 11 – Girls 1. Lola Wight 2. Genevieve Bowles 3. Naavah Randell |
Under 11 – Boys 1. Noah Kerry 2. Isaac Woods 3. Nate Helling |
| Under 12 – Girls 1. Ava O’Connor 2. Marley Pacific 3. Jade Sherrington |
Under 12 – Boys 1. Elliot Ley 2. Lucus Soegaard 3. Mitchell Bergoff |
| Under 13 – Girls 1. Matilda Duhig 2. Trinity Ransome 3. Charlotte Brown |
Under 13 – Boys 1. Jett Wilson 2. Levi Hunt 3. Kody Jordan |
| Under 14 – Girls 1. Sunny Lappin 2. Poppie Thompson 3. Sophia Springer |
Under 14 – Boys 1. Minh Nguyen 2. Vincent Churches 3. Boston Peters |
From the Head of the SLC
Successful Organisations
Over the holidays I did some reading about the characteristics of successful organisations. I was reassured by what I read: clear direction – a clear vision and mission statement; strong leadership; great teamwork – members of the team collaborate to achieve a common goal; good communication – communication is timely and clear; and they adapt to opportunities and changes.
Who would have predicted the journey we have gone through this term – 1 week of lockdown in Queensland where all of our students engaged in Learning at Home, back a school for a week and then 1 week of lockdown in New South Wales where a small number of students engaged in Learning at Home and a small number of teachers who reside in NSW taught their classes from home.
Not only did we survive, our ability to adapt allowed us to thrive. Unlike other schools, the agility of the staff allowed us to flip from face-to-face learning to Learning at Home straight away and the overwhelming positive feedback from students, parents and staff indicated that the programs we put in place met or exceeded expectations. Similarly, while the NSW lockdown was also unexpected, we were agile enough to adapt to the situation and continue to provide learning programs to the students in lockdown.
I wish to thank all of the staff for their efforts this term. I appreciate the extra effort that it took to quickly transform lessons to an online format. I also wish to thank the students for their adaptability and ongoing diligence to their studies through these disruptions, and the parent community for your ongoing encouragement and support.
Hillcrest Christian College is a successful organisation and no matter the challenges that are presented, we stay true to our mission to deliver young people to society who are:
- Educated and prepared for success in their personal, professional and spiritual life
- Equipped with the knowledge to discern what is good, the skills to demonstrate self-discipline and integrity, and the spirit to live with compassion
- Empowered to commit themselves to action for a better society
- Energised to live the truth of the gospel of Jesus in the service of God
I ask that you keep our NSW families and staff in your prayers this week. We pray that the COVID-19 transmissions will ease in NSW, resulting is an easing of restrictions and a return to campus for our NSW students and staff.
Enjoy your week. Be blessed.
Jason Day
Head of Senior Learning Community
What’s been happening in the SLC
Careers Festival
On Wednesday, 28 July, students attended Hilcrest’s annual Career’s Festival where they heard from industry experts, talked to university representatives and looked at the pathways they could take to achieve their goals. This is an important event for our SLC students each year as they’re making important decisions now that impact life beyond school.
PJ Day to raise funds for Effective Aid
On Friday, 30 July, we saw an array of onesies, Oodies and flannels as our SLC students came to school dressed in their pyjamas. Gold coin donations went towards raising funds for Effective Aid. During morning tea and lunch, senior students also ran a food stall to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctors.
Learning at Home
We certainly experienced a change of pace as students and teachers transitioned to online learning last week. This did not slowed the learning down though as our teachers were ready to go with Learning at Home with their students.
Year 9 Visual Arts Excursion
On Friday, 23 July, Year 9 Visual Art students attended an excursion to Currumbin Beach to explore the natural environment as their stimulus for their artworks this semester. Students responded to the concept ‘sense of place’ exploring the textures, shapes and colours of the landscape, collecting interesting found objects washed up on the shoreline. On return students experimented with print making, clay textures and abstract sculpture using textiles and cane to inspire their design ideas for their artworks.
International Ethics Olympiad Finals
On Friday, 23 July our Senior Ethics team competed in the first ever International Ethics Olympiad Finals. The event featured 38 teams from five countries (Australia, NZ, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore) competing over Zoom. Our team did very well against high quality opposition from prestigious schools all over these nations. Congratulations to Laila Chequer de Souza, Jed Gregory, Luca Nathan, Torrek Elbeb and Jessie Duduc.
The results had Canadian School – Form C, crowned champions, Northern Beaches Christian School the Silver Medal and St Peter’s School for Girls (SA) awarded the Bronze Medal. Our team finished in 18th position overall, and also received honourable mentions from the judges.
This has been a wonderful opportunity for the students. I would also like to thank their coach Thor Hudson in preparing and mentoring them these last few months.
100 Days left for Year 12
Our Year 12 students recently commemorated 100 Days until they Graduate with a day of celebrations in the SLC. Students posed for our College traditional hat throw on the Terrace steps as well as enjoyed hand-made cup cakes and pizza. The countdown is well and truly on for our Year 12 graduating class. Please keep them in your prayers as they embark on their final days as students here at Hillcrest.
Years 9-10 Fashiontech Workshop
The Stem with Style workshop on Wednesday, 18 August engaged Years 9-10 students in learning about the future of fashion, through upcycling clothing with wearable tech sensors and LED lights. Shayla Evans, Tatumn Tonkin, Abbey Edwards, Indigo Shirley, Charlotte Dennis, Amber Henderson, Emily Snowdon, Charlize Firgaira, Ella Thompson and Jessica Powell applied their creativity to design and created a ‘fashion-tech’ garment. By combining traditional sewing crafts with new technology, the students bridged the divide between creativity, gender stereotyping and engineering. Through the Fashiontech Workshop we were able to draw parallels between the fashion industry and engineering with the shared need to design and follow accurate patterns, analyse and test materials for their appropriate use and the economic considerations associated with the garments that were produced.
*Mask exemptions apply to some students.
Year 10 Sherbet for Science Week
This week, Year 10 Science students completed a Chemistry Investigation in conjunction with the theme for National Science Week: Food – Different by Design. Students had the unique opportunity to create their own flavoured sherbet.
Building on their knowledge they have gained this term of different types of chemical reactions, students identified that the ‘fizzing’ sensation of sherbet is actually the result of an acid-base reaction. Citric acid reacts with bicarbonate soda to produce carbon dioxide gas.
Students discovered that when mixed together dry, no reaction occurs but when the ingredients are combined in the mouth, saliva activates the reaction, and the fizz is felt!
Sports, Performing Arts and Co-curricular
Choral Excellence Workshop
On Saturday, 31 July, just prior to the South East Queensland lockdown announcement, 56 students from our Choral Excellence program engaged in a choral workshop with visiting clinician, Paul Holley. Bel Canto enjoyed warming up with some new activities to engage the whole body and mind. They soaked up Paul’s guidance in text interpretation with some of their most difficult repertoire. MANCHOIR then joined them for two combined pieces. We said farewell to the girls at lunchtime and the boys were then able to work with Paul on their own repertoire. We were so grateful to be able to spend this time together, honing our performances and building community. To watch these young people willingly give up hours on a weekend to work hard and engage in the highest level of music making was such a privilege. The musicality and teamwork displayed was outstanding. Regardless of how the current COVID situation in South East Queensland unfolds and impacts on performances, these students can be so proud of their efforts in growing together as musicians.
Inter-House Bench Choir Competition
This year saw the inaugural Inter-House Choral Competition being held in the SLC. Students were invited to join their House for a season of “Bench Choir” in learning an Australian pop/rock song as well as a canon/round which was then performed before a judging panel of four staff members. The Yr 12s guided the students through rehearsals adding vocal harmonies, choreography, instrumental solos and more. The performances were exceptional, the level of commitment, enthusiasm and energy from all four houses outstanding and Terrace Hall was filled with absolute joy as we heard renditions of Eagle Rock, You’d Better Be Home Soon, Don’t Dream It’s Over and Sitting on Top of the World. Congratulations to Greene House for taking out the top award.
2021 Gold Coast Schools MTB Comp
On Friday, 23 July, our Hillcrest Knights MTB Team competed in the third Gold Coast Schools MTB Competition in Nerang. With over 230 students from 29 schools across the south east QLD Region, Hillcrest finished in 6th position overall. A massive congratulations to all students who attended, some for their first ever mountain bike competition.
Special mention to our top 10 finishers: Jacob Borrelli 7th in Yr7/8 Boys; Kai Pyyvaara 3rd (podium) and Kye Hannant 4th in Yr9/10 Boys; Sam Schooley 4th in Yr11/12 Boys. Preston Robinson just missed out by one spot finishing 11th in Yr7/8 Boys.
Thanks to our parents and supporters for helping throughout the day – Paul Pyyvaara for assisting event organizers at the start of Pete’s Trail; Mandy Borrelli and Judy Schooley for delicious food they provided for our boys; Tony Bogatie for helping out with bike repairs; Blair Schooley, Scott Adams and Mark Ley for shadowing the boys on the trails and Talisha Simmons for being our resident photographer and videographer. Big thanks to fellow coach Dale Adams for supporting the team on the day. Here’s to the next event… let’s go!!!!!
Futsal State Titles
Our U12 Boys and U10 Girls finished Semi-Finalists at the QLD State Futsal Champions of Champions. They now qualify to compete at the National Australasian Champion of Champions which is the pinnacle event of the schools program. This tournament will be held in November in Queensland.
Parents & Friends
Fathers Day Stall
The P&F will be holding the Father’s Day on Wednesday, 1 September (JLC & MLC) and Thursday, 2 September (MLC & SLC). Parents are encouraged to pre-purchase $5 vouchers before the day via this link: 2021 Fathers’ Day Stalls
All gifts are $5. The Stall will be on the MPH Deck on the Wednesday and JLC classes will visit with their teacher. Please remember to send a bag with your child. The Stall will be in the SLC Courtyard on Thursday, 2 September and will be open before school and during morning tea time. Students will need to visit during these times if they would like to purchase a gift.
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS
Homestyle Pie & Sweets Drive
Hillcrest is a long-time supporter of Effective Aid and have been instrumental in providing quality education in refugee camps, orphanages and in poverty-stricken villages along the border of Thailand and Myanmar. The Hillcrest P&F Association are organising a Homestyle Bake Pie & Sweet drive to raise much needed funds for Effective Aid. Parents and carers can order pies, sausage rolls, quiches and a range of sweets online. Orders and payments can be placed directly with Homestyle Bake via their online ordering system as per the instructions below – no cash, all contactless!
Online orders must be placed before 2.30pm on Wednesday, 8 September 2021 with pick up on Thursday, 16 September 2021.
HOW TO ORDER
- Click here
- Click on ORDER ONLINE
- Click on “Register”
- Fill out registration form (using your name and address). Check your email for registration confirmation
- Click link in email
- Check for a second welcome email that contains your unique USER ID (you are welcome to use the USER ID provided or login using your email address instead)
- Go back to the website and login
- Use Fundraising code: FHILLCRESTCC160921 and click on GO (MUST USE THIS CODE TO ENSURE THE FUNDS GO TO HILLCREST AND THE CORRECT MENU IS DISPLAYED)
- Do not enter a delivery date, it will automatically be set (16/09/21)
- Place order by typing a number in the quantity box for how many you want for each item *(you do not have to place “0” for items you do not want)
- When finished ordering, click UPDATE CART for a final price
- When you are ready to pay, click CHECKOUT to go to payment screen
- Enter child’s name and/or room/class (number) in the CUSTOMER ORDER NUMBER FIELD, choose payment method and follow prompts through to click on CONFIRM ORDER. (If purchasing for friends or family you can do separate orders under your name and put their name in the CUSTOMER ORDER NUMBER FIELD (this means their orders will be packed separately from yours)
- Check email for order confirmation and if payment is successful you will receive a second email.
You can collect orders from your friends, family and work colleagues and place these orders under your name on your order. This is preferred over giving out the Online Fundraising Code. If you give out this code we would then have people outside of our College community coming onto the grounds to pick up their orders on delivery day.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER
Other News
Student Departure Notification for 2022
Our College has gained a strong reputation for innovation and excellence, locally, nationally and internationally. We continue to receive numerous applications from families who have selected Hillcrest as the preferred schooling option for their children. Many of our year levels have now reached capacity, or are nearly full and our waiting lists are growing. The College now only has formal enrolment intakes for Pre Kindy, Kindy and Prep.
Your family is a very important part of our College Community and because of this we will be preparing for your child/ren moving into their new year level in 2022.
Please be reminded that our Enrolment Agreement states that you must provide one full term’s notice in writing, before any departure. If the full term’s notice has not been received and the student is outside of the initial six month cooling off period, a full term’s fee will be charged. Whilst we acknowledge and respect the right of parents to withdraw their child from Hillcrest at any time, this policy was introduced to encourage families to think carefully about early withdrawal and to ensure that the College has continuity of enrolment to meet its financial commitments.
If your child will not be returning to Hillcrest Christian College in 2022, please provide your departure notification in writing to registrar@hillcrest.qld.edu.au no later than Friday 17 September to avoid any financial penalty.
On behalf of the College Executive, thank you for your support with this matter.
