Congratulations to everyone involved in organising and participating in our very first Primary School Musical at the end of October. The musical, titled "A Night at the Movies," was a wonderful blend of songs from popular children's movies, sung by student choirs ranging from Prep to Grade 6. This event showcased some aspiring new Australian acting talent, which was on display for all to see. Despite the somewhat uncomfortable seating experienced by our gracious parent community, we all enjoyed a wonderful show. There was a real sense of community as our students sang with energy, emotion, and pride. The volume of sound increased as our audience sang along with our students, further motivating them and almost lifting the Chapel roof.
In my opinion, the highlight of the afternoon and evening performances was not a particular song or actor but rather the community itself. There is an uncomplicated and uplifting joy when listening to students sing and act. Each school student across our school was given an equal opportunity to perform, and their courage was on display for all to see and enjoy.
The Bible has much to say about community in both testaments, especially through the words and examples of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others. The writer of Ecclesiastes suggested that people are designed to live in community. “Two are better than one,” Solomon said, and “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Community brings friendship and support for times of adversity (Proverbs 17:17; 27:9), and where better to build long-term friendships than in a school?
The bar has been set high and we are already thinking about what we will do in 2025? One thing we do know is that our students and staff will be up for the challenge.
Thank you to our Head of Performing Arts, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Dewer (Music Director and Choreographer), Mrs. Hayes (Production Coordinator), and our wonderful teachers who coached and cajoled our students to do daily singing practices.
Great effort, team.

Mr Van Tienen
Head of Primary

"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." – Psalm 24:1

Spring continues to bring fresh energy to our students as they dive into the beauty and complexity of the natural world. They’re busy observing habitats, learning about ecosystems, and potting up seedlings to continue enhancing the Boes Road carpark with the native common everlasting or yellow buttons( Chrysocephalum apiculatum). This indigenous yellow flowering plant, was one of the plants introduced to the Boes Rd carpark in 2023 by our Year 5 and 6 students as part of their birds in backyards community project, is a wonderful addition for local wildlife, attracting native bees, butterflies, and moths. Collecting and germinating seeds from the original plants, our students are working towards adding new seedlings to expand this vibrant habitat.

In the farm’s edible garden, students are sampling fresh produce, including lettuce, nasturtiums, lemons, banana passionfruit, broad beans, and a few early strawberries. Our new blueberry bushes are thriving, and the avocado tree is finally safe under a protective net after its initial encounter with curious possums.

One of the highlights for many students is feeding the sheep. Our once-baby lambs are now teenagers, a size perfect for students to interact with safely, though they’ve learned to respect the sheep's eagerness when food is around! On another note, Crackle enjoyed a temporary escape into the laneways while her paddock was revitalized by Tess and our maintenance team. Despite their hard work, Crackle seemed less than impressed with her newly landscaped home.

Our junior students have also been getting their hands dirty, helping with seedling repotting and farm maintenance, including weeding, watering, and sweeping—every little bit helps! Year 2, have potted up their own yellow buttons seedlings, which they’ll nurture and eventually take home. They’ve also been learning about our baby leaf insects and helping care for them by gathering fresh eucalyptus leaves and refreshing the water in their containers to ensure a steady supply of food. Their enthusiasm and care have been wonderful to see, and they’re learning valuable skills in nurturing and responsibility along the way.

Our high school students have also been lending a hand on the farm. Recently, during heavy rains, the sheep team stepped in to help clear flooded drains, ensuring the farm remained safe and functional despite the deluge.

Year 7 students have been exploring the wool industry, learning how to handle fleece both on and off the sheep. Sorting and handling fleece and sheep has provided them with insight into the care and needs of larger animals and the intricacies of wool processing.

Year 8 recently visited the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, delving into the fascinating world of biomimicry—discovering how nature’s designs inspire sustainable solutions. The excursion allowed students to appreciate the unique Australian landscape while sharpening their skills in learning from the natural world.

With the year winding down, excitement is brewing in the chicken pens as we await the hatching of our Belgian d'Uccle eggs. The hens have been fiercely protective of their clutches, with other chickens eager to join in with the task. Tess showed the JC students how to “candle” the eggs—using a light to look inside and see the developing embryos.
Adding to the lively atmosphere, our rooster has brought a fresh melody to the farm, his crowing blending into the harmonious backdrop of clucks, bleats, and the vibrant energy of spring on the farm.

Siobhan Morris

Agricultural Studies Teacher

Royal Geelong Show, our final Sheep Show Team camp for the year was a huge success despite being very soggy! However the torrential rain didn’t dampen our Team’s spirit or effort, and we were very successful in the show ring, particularly in the youth events, with our students achieving some amazing personal results! While in Geelong, we taught Mr and Mrs Van Tienen how to show the sheep and they both had a go in the ring which was fabulous! Mr Van Tienen also learnt some valuable sheep judging techniques and gave us a hilarious demonstration back at our accommodation, although I’m not sure he’ll make a professional livestock judge just yet… Another highlight was seeing Mr Van Tienen in the dress up class with one of our lambs, “Canyon”, where they dressed up as Bluey characters.

Halfway through the camp, on Friday afternoon, the rain got so heavy that it started coming through the shed roof like a waterfall! Our amazing students, staff and parents immediately jumped into action, helping to move other breeders’ sheep, feed and equipment while others gathered buckets, bins and brooms to help remove water from the shed, all with smiles on their faces. The wild weather certainly made for some exciting stories, and I couldn’t have been prouder of the way our Flinders Team helped everyone else and made the best out of a challenging situation. No one complained about being wet, despite us all being soaked through, and everyone continued helping until long after the storm had passed. It was a true reflection of the Flinders values and spirit. Thank you to our wonderful Team members for another very successful and fun show, we are so proud of you all!

A huge thank you to Mr Van Tienen, Mrs Van Tienen and Dawn Scott for making this camp possible, for cooking incredible meals and having so much fun with us all! We enjoyed having you along for the journey and hope that you enjoyed it as much as the students did!

-Tess Runting, Farm Manager

Our Sheep Show Team enjoyed welcoming many year 6 students to the farm at lunchtime today, for them to see what our Team is all about and to get a head start before the new year! They had a great time asking questions and learning how to handle some of our lambs. We look forward to having any interested year 6 students at the farm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtimes for the rest of the term!

In recent Ag classes, our Primary students have been enjoying planting seeds, feeding and cuddling our chickens and sheep and helping us to keep all the plants healthy by watering and weeding our gardens and hot house! We have recently welcomed some more new little Belgian D’Uccle chickens to the farm, including a rooster and are hoping to hatch some of our own little chicks later this term.. Stay tuned!

We had so much fun at the Melbourne Royal Show over the school holidays, and we loved seeing so many Flinders families enjoying the show too! Lots of our Sheep Show Team and their dedicated parents drove up each day to be involved with the various competitions, where we did very well in the sheep classes! Two of our top achievements being that we won the Best Sires Fleece class with our ram “Bullseye”, and Reserve Champion Corriedale Ram with “Chester”. We were also super successful in the youth events, with a record number of Flinders students competing, including Junior Show Team members! Due to our amazing results, we were also awarded the Champion School prize for being the most successful school in these classes!

We were also very excited to see some Flinders students try their hand in the Youth Cattle classes at the show this year! Congratulations to Jamie, Flynn, Ella and Harvey for being so keen to try out something new and for doing such a great job!

Congratulations to all students who attended the show for various events across the 11 days and a big thank you to all our fabulous parents who drove up and back to make it happen for the Team!

-Sheep Team Captains

Flinders Basketball is holding a virtual raffle / silent auction fundraiser for our four Flinders Basketball teams that are heading to the Gold Coast in December to compete at the 2024 Footlocker Australian Schools Basketball Championships.

We have some incredible prizes on offer with the draw taking place on Sunday 24th November.

The link to access is: https://bit.ly/m/Flinders-Coll... this is also included in the flyer below.

Our Grade 5 students are embarking on an exciting journey into the vibrant world of textiles. This hands-on project allows them to explore their creativity and learn new skills in a fun and engaging way.

Throughout the project, students will experiment with various textile techniques. They will have the opportunity to work with a range of materials and colors, creating unique and colorful pieces that reflect their individual artistic expressions.

We are incredibly proud of our Grade 5 students and can't wait to see the amazing creations they come up with. Stay tuned for more updates and photos of their fantastic work!

On October 31st, Tyabb Campus proudly presented its first-ever Primary School production, ‘A Night at the Movies.’ Our talented students dazzled the audience with vibrant costumes, enthusiastic performances, and expertly choreographed dance routines, bringing joy to an audience filled with family members and our extended Flinders community.

The story was brought to life by a dedicated group of student actors who worked diligently over several months to hone their performance skills. Their hard work and commitment resulted in an unforgettable show that left a lasting impression.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to every staff member who contributed to this event and to the parents for their unwavering support. We look forward to creating and sharing many more memorable productions with you in the future. A special 'thank you' to Mr. Carson and Mrs. Dewar for their preparation and teamwork, to make this a success.

Michele Hayes
Primary Production Coordinator

At kindergarten, we strive to nurture children’s sense of wonder about the mini-beasts and animals in our environment, fostering an appreciation for God’s creation. As children develop their ability to engage with and understand their world, learning about butterflies provides a wonderful opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the creatures they encounter daily, especially as the seasons change. This visit allowed children to participate in learning experiences and enjoy a butterfly tent set up inside the kindergarten, giving them the chance to interact with butterflies up close.

Daniel has participated in the ASX share trading game. Candidates were given $50,000 to trade for 10 weeks from 10am to 4pm. Daniel managed to be the top trader in Victoria, earning a total of $67,514.22 among 18000 other participants. That's a profit of $17,541, which is 35% in 10 weeks. He has been awarded cash $500 by the ASX for being the top trader in Victoria.

Daniel said: " I actually didn’t start the game until few weeks later than everyone else, I had a look at the start in our class time but didn’t end up checking back on it. Eventually I had a look at some of the stocks that I could invest in, and I decided to spend all my money on a few different companies. It didn’t start off spectacularly, I lost about a grand but stuck with what I had bought already. Most of term 3 I was up and down a lot, never really standing out but was still in profit at the same time.
The game was great fun for me, especially over the holidays. Waking up every morning and checking how I was going was really satisfying to me, especially as I started to get into the reality of possibly winning.”

Daniel's Strategy:
My strategy was fairly simple, I bought stocks that were low, while considering how long they were falling for. If they had been falling for a few years and unlikely to come up again, they were a miss. If they were falling for a day or two, then I figured there was more chance of them going up. My strategy was certainly affected by the fact that it was a race, a good example of this was selling A2 when I was slightly behind at the end and investing in a couple other companies as a last push to win.

Our Y10 and 11 German students were excited to visit Melbourne University for a German Careers Day. They explored the benefits of learning German and career opportunities, talking to HR representatives from German companies like BMW and looking at study abroad options through Melbourne and Monash University as well as the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst).

The event was supported by the Goethe Institute, the Victorian Government and Universities as well as the DAAD.

A highlight of our excursion was the German sausage stand at the Queen Victorian market and a German theatre play of Kafka

Last week, the Joshua Centre celebrated the creativity of our students with a vibrant Art Show! The gallery was filled with imaginative and colourful artworks, showcasing the unique talents and dedication of our students. A visiting judge had the difficult task of selecting standout pieces from the incredible work on display. We’re thrilled to announce the award recipients:

JCA

- First Place: Emily Kontek

- Highly Commended: Leonardo Wraight

JCB

- First Place: Leah Martin

- Highly Commended: Austin Lai

JCC

- First Place: Xzavier Ricci

- Highly Commended: Fox Sverdvik

Congratulations to all our talented young artists! Your hard work and passion were truly inspiring. We look forward to seeing even more artistic achievements in the future!

This week, we were excited to welcome our new Prep to Grade 2 students as we launched the 2025 Transition Program. It’s been wonderful to see our young learners stepping into their new classrooms, meeting teachers, and beginning to explore their learning spaces. Next week, we look forward to expanding our welcome to include new students from all year levels, helping them settle in and feel at home. We’re thrilled to have these students join our school community and can’t wait to see them grow and thrive!

This week, we were excited to welcome our new Prep to Grade 2 students as we launched the 2025 Transition Program. It’s been wonderful to see our young learners stepping into their new classrooms, meeting teachers, and beginning to explore their learning spaces. Next week, we look forward to expanding our welcome to include new students from all year levels, helping them settle in and feel at home. We’re thrilled to have these students join our school community and can’t wait to see them grow and thrive!

CONGRATULATIONS to our talented students who received awards for their exceptional artwork submitted to the SIS Art, Design & Technology Exhibition this week.
The exhibition featured the works of over 400 students from Southern Independent Schools (SIS), including Art, Design, Technology, Ceramics and Textiles.

Our winning students are:
• Chloe C - Third prize (Ceramics)
• Willow F – Highly Commended (Sculptural Teapot and Book sculpture)
• Willow F – Highly Commended (Prints)
• Bridgette H - Highly Commended (Sculptural Teapot)
Thank you to all the students who entered their work in this exhibition. We wish them well in all their creative endeavours!

Jane Giddings
Head of Art, Design & Technology

Parents and Friends will be issuing the 2nd hand book sale order form early, week beginning November 18th. Please return ASAP as this sale is conducted on a first come first served basis. The link to this order form will be found on Flinders Connect notices.

Please click on the button below to read more about Silver Gum Therapies 'School Readiness Program'.

2024

Term 4

• Mid Term Break - Monday 4 November
• Student Free Day - Friday 22 November
• Grade 6 Graduation - Friday 29 November
• Secondary Presentation Night - Thursday 5 December
• Primary Presentation Night - Friday 6 December
• Last Day of Term 4 - Friday 6 December

2025

Term 1

• Year 7 and 12 Commence - Thursday 30 January
• 3YO and 4YO Kinder Orientation Day - Thursday 30 January
• Prep to Grade 6, Year 8 to Year 11 Commence
• Last Day of Term 1 - Friday 4 April

Term 2

• Term 2 Commences - Wednesday 23 April
• Student Free Day - Friday 27 June
• Last Day of Term 2 - Friday 4 July