Spring is a season that symbolises rebirth and renewal. As the cold and barren winter gives way to the warmth and growth of spring, nature itself seems to come back to life. Flowers bloom, trees regain their leaves, and lambs at the Farm are born!

This cycle of death and rebirth is not only a natural phenomenon but also holds deep spiritual significance, particularly in Christianity.

In Christianity, the concept of rebirth is central to its teachings. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, symbolising victory over death and the promise of eternal life. Just as spring follows winter, the resurrection follows the death at the cross: the ultimate sacrifice for all, which brings hope and renewal to a broken and hopeless world.

The symbolism of spring and rebirth is also reflected in Christian practices and rituals. Baptism, for example, is a sacrament that signifies newness and rebirth. Through baptism, believers are said to die to their old selves and be reborn in Christ, much like the way nature is reborn in spring. This act of renewal is a reminder of the transformative power of faith and the promise of new beginnings.

Moreover, the themes of renewal and rebirth are not limited to the resurrection and baptism. They are woven throughout Christian teachings and scriptures. The Bible often uses imagery of nature and growth to convey spiritual truths. In the book of Isaiah, it is written, "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus" (Isaiah 35:1). This verse captures the essence of spring and the joy of renewal that comes with it.

As we are warmed by the promise of spring, we are reminded of a season that beautifully mirrors the Christian themes of rebirth and renewal.

The natural world’s transformation from death to life serves as a powerful metaphor for the spiritual renewal that is at the heart of the Christian faith.

As we head into the term break, may you find time to notice the blossoms, the new shoots of life bursting forth from the trees, and may you also find rest a peace in the comfort the from seemingly old and dead things, new life is born!

Mr Luke Swain

Head of Campus - Tyabb and Mount Martha

The K4 Birdrock Beach class enjoyed an evening with their Dad’s and significant adults last week. We went on a night walk to find nocturnal Australian animals. We spotted possums, Kangaroos, an echidna puggle and a platypus puggle, along with Koalas and owls. The children enjoyed activities in the Kinder with their Dad’s and gave them gifts and cards they had made.

This term, JCB students have been busy working on their information report projects during writing sessions, which culminated in a special class expo. The students created detailed posters to display their research and paired them with dioramas they constructed in Art with Jane, bringing their learning to life in 3D.

The expo was a great success, with JCB parents and primary Grade 3 students attending to admire the creative and informative displays. It was a proud moment for the students to share their hard work, and the excitement in the room was infectious as everyone explored the imaginative projects.

In our recent buddy activity, the junior and senior classes teamed up to create vibrant spring nature portraits. The seniors guided their younger buddies through the process, helping them collect leaves, flowers, and other natural materials from the school grounds. Together, they arranged the materials into beautiful, creative portraits that celebrated the colours and textures of spring. Throughout the activity, students worked on their fine motor skills, carefully placing each item, while also enhancing their creativity and teamwork. It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to collaborate, share ideas, and enjoy the outdoors, fostering a sense of community and connection between the two groups.

Congratulations to our Flinders Basketball teams all competing in Grand Finals this week. We had an incredible number of teams play off in associations at Frankston, Casey, Mornington, Westernport and Chelsea.

A big congratulations to Jude, Liza, Zara and Harrison for competing in the Australian Equestrian Interschools Championships! This is such a wonderful achievement.

Congratulations to all players involved in the winter netball season at Frankston Netball.

Our Yr 5/6 teams represented the College for the first time this season as well as multiple teams at Yr 7/8, 9/10 and Yr 11/12.

Four Flinders teams played off in Grand Finals last Friday both against each other. Thank you to our amazing parent volunteer coaches and team managers who enable this program to run. Without your support our players wouldn’t have these opportunities so thank you.

Any student in Yr 6 - 12 who might be interested in participating in our Term 4 Swim Squad program please contact Ms Natalie Chatfield for more information. This program is designed to prepare students for race meets in a 50m pool and is NOT a 'learn to swim' initiative. The session will run for an hour from 7:30am and will commence on the 1st November.

As a former Flinders Christian Community College Tyabb student, Kate teaches Woodwind (Saxophone, Clarinet and Flute) and piano. Kate discovered a passion for music via hearing her primary school music teacher play his saxophone while walking down the school hallways. Kate enjoys creating personalised lessons to suit each individual students learning style and music goals. She has performed for many local theatre productions including Seussical and Shrek, and ensembles and Jazz Bands including the Westernport Regional Band and Hazel Tones. Kate has experience in teaching prep to VCE students and specialises in guiding students through AMEB and ANZCA exams. If your child is interested in learning saxophone, clarinet, flute, or piano from Kate, please contact our Music Administrator, Margaret Simpson, at margaret.simpson@flinders.vic.edu.au.

Adam Carson
Head of Performing Arts

The Music Faculty fosters music education through AMEB and ANZCA exams that extend overall understanding of music and instrumental skills. The exams provide students with defined goals that are a powerful motivating force.

Depending on the grade, the AMEB exams involve students learning stylistically diverse repertoire, technical skills, aural skills, general knowledge, sight-reading, transposition, and orchestral excerpts.

The Music Faculty would like to formally congratulate Lucy Bacaller and Caleb Weber on completing their AMEB exams this term.

Lucy completed her Comprehensive Preliminary exam on Violin receiving flawless results on her technical and aural requirements. The adjudicator provided comments in line with Lucy’s exam being a “spirited performance”.

Caleb completed his Comprehensive Leisure Grade 7 exam on alto saxophone performing challenging repertoire including “Flight of the Bumblebee”, “Sonata” by Henri Eccles, and “Billies Bounce”. Calebs’s technical component included demanding scales and arpeggios, such as the Dim 7th of C# and the whole tone scale on E, that were all performed with accuracy.

If your child is interested in extending their music skills please ask their instrumental teacher about the possibility of completing an AMEB or ANZCA exam.

Adam Carson
Head of Performing Arts

In the last few weeks of term, our Ag Studies students have enjoyed feeding lambs, hugging chickens, planting seeds, weeding garden beds, learning about pollinators, exploring how seeds move, felting with our Corriedale wool and gearing up for the Melbourne Royal Show! It’s always full steam ahead at the farm and spring is one of our most productive times of the year, so we are excited to be able to share with you all the fantastic things that we have been working on after the holidays!

Next week, Melbourne Royal Show kicks off and we’d love to see lots of the Flinders community around the Livestock Pavilion! If you are planning a trip in, here are the dates you’ll be able to see some Flinders students doing great things!

Thursday 26th September: Flinders sheep will be on display and exhibited in the Livestock Pavilion

Friday 27th September: Flinders sheep will be on display and Flinders students will be involved in Youth Competitions in the Livestock Pavilion in the afternoon

Tuesday 1st October: Flinders student Tiffany Maestrale will be competing in the Merino Fleece Judging National Championship in the Livestock Pavilion from 8:30am

Friday 4th, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th
October: Flinders students will be trying their hand at exhibiting cattle in the Livestock Pavilion

Good Luck to all our students who are competing in various events at the Show, and we can’t wait to share lots of holiday news with the Flinders community in early term 4! Have a great holiday everyone, don’t forget to say hello to Crackle if you walk past school!

We are excited to share the news of our partnership with the Cyber Safety Project, who are passionate advocates for empowering young people in their digital safety and wellbeing. This partnership brings a wealth of benefits to our school community, including up-to-date curriculum, professional teacher development, parent webinars, and resources focusing on the latest digital trends. Yesterday, co founder Sam presented engaging cyber wellbeing sessions to our Primary school students.

Brad Skyes Sports believe in providing younger people with the opportunity to play sport, boosting an active and healthy lifestyle, employ interpersonal skills, focus on resilience and confidence.

They are hosting 18 footy clinics across the school holidays – from the 23rd of September through to the 4th of October, ranging from Malvern East, across to Beaconsfield & all the way down to Sorrento!

Kids aged 5 – 12 are welcome along, with ANY level of football experience! They are promised an action-packed six-hour day, learning footy skills from experienced players at AFL/W, VFL/W, and Talent Pathway players!
Further entertainment includes puzzles, crosswords, Finals trivia, a Q&A and more!

Kids will learn valuable traits such as sportsmanship, teamwork, team learning and building and a respective attitude to take forward in life.

For further information please visit https://bssports.com.au/ or register at https://www.trybooking.com/eve...

The Mornington Little Athletics season program starts on 5th October with the upcoming opening of their new club house, they are very excited about recruiting new little athletes.

Please see the link below for further information.

The Mornington Little Athletics season program starts on 5th October with the upcoming opening of their new club house, they are very excited about recruiting new little athletes.

Please see the link below for further information.

Westernport Little Athletics are a small, family friendly club to encourage children to enjoy athletics regardless of their abilities. Little Athletics is a gateway into many other sports and is a complementary activity for all budding sportspeople.

Please click on the bellow link for further information regarding their Summer Track and Field Season

The Rosebud RSL are facilitating a Poetry Competition - Remembrance Day: What does it men to you? This competition is free and open to all primary and secondary students in the Southern Mornington Peninsular. They aspire to engage school student to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who have serves in the armed forces, from the ANZACs in the first World War, right through to present day. Students may write about any conflict, service or individual, and from any perspective. They encourage students to be creative and really think about what it means to them. All entries must be receives by Tuesday 8 October 2024. For further information please head to https://www.rosebudrsl.com.au/...

Dear Flinders families

Applications are open for the following year levels:

- 4-year-old Kinder, 2026
- Prep 2026

We recommend families lodge their applications as soon as possible as we have waiting list across many year levels. Siblings are given a priority, however, places are not guaranteed, to lodge an application please refer to our website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at enrolments@flinders.vic.edu.au we will be happy to help!