Year 5 starts at college’s Surf Coast campus

CHRISTIAN College Geelong’s Surf Coast campus in Torquay has welcomed its first class of Year 5 pupils, who had their first day on Tuesday this week.

The campus opened on the southern side of the Spring Creek valley in 2018 with just a Prep class but has added a new level each year since, with Year 5 being the first of the college’s middle school years.

“Since then, we’ve been growing and growing and growing,” Surf Coast campus co-ordinator Debbie Riddle said.

The Year 5 pupils will continue in the middle school at the Surf Coast campus until they reach Year 9 in 2027, when they will move to the senior school campus in Waurn Ponds in 2028.

“A whole new building program will start this year, in preparation for the rest of the middle school cohort,” Ms Riddle said.

Subject choices increases for pupils in Year 5 at Christian College Geelong, and they also take part in many new curriculum areas. “There’s a lot more leadership opportunities, there’s a lot more subject choices.

“They have the opportunity to take two languages instead of one, they have the opportunity for a well-developed science program so we built a new science lab for them; they have more STEM so rather than just integrated studies, they also have systems and technology – the unit we’re doing this term is called ‘STEMing the tide’ and they’ll be making solar-powered boats.

“They also have drama as an extra subject as well, and extra sport, where they go and compete against other schools.”

“So it’s a big step, and it’s the beginning of that journey through middle school.”

She said pupils would have subjects chosen for them in Year 5 and Year 6, but would have independently chosen electives from Year 7 onwards.

“Being a part of the bigger Christian College Geelong organisation means we can just pull all the resources from there, which is very helpful.”