We hope you have enjoyed receiving the Executive Update Series emails throughout the last few weeks of this term, as our College Executive has released information to Hillcrest families on some of the important things that are happening in the life of our College.

Yesterday, the plans for our Middle Learning Community were shared with all parents, and if you missed this important article, you can read the full story here. All of our Executive Update Series emails are also available in the General Information section of the Community Zone parent portal.

We wish our Hillcrest students and families a safe and relaxing school holiday break.

Our inaugural Literacy Festival was held on Wednesday, 18 September, and the Junior Learning Community had an amazing time celebrating all things literacy, as book characters came to life, students heard from renowned authors and illustrators, and keen readers were able to buy their favourite books from the Book Fair.

The exciting day started in spectacular fashion with a Storybook Day concert, which was wonderfully reenacted by our Prep to Year 2 students. Our little learners certainly looked the part, and they loved singing and acting out the story of the Little Red Hen, as her dazzling ducks, cool cats, and proud pigs, while conveying the important message of lending a helping hand.

Students then explored the wonderful world of literacy with talks from our special guest authors and illustrators. Thank you to the parents, family and friends who showed their support by coming to watch our entertaining performance.

Our Literary Festival adventures continued throughout the morning, as our older JLC students made their way to the Years 3 - 6 Bookweek Parade, where they paraded their creative, innovative and original costumes, to music and much applause from the audience. The children also loved seeing the teachers in costume, especially our special guests Maverick and Goose who delivered the message "I feel the need - the need to READ."

The students then immersed themselves in literacy at the Scholastic and Koorong Book stalls, and enjoyed learning more about the art of literature during presentations from guest authors and illustrators.

Thank you so much to our busy parents and families who put so much time and effort into creating many extraordinary costumes, and for helping Hillcrest hold such a memorable day in the hope that our students will fall more in love with literacy!

The Hillcrest oval was abuzz with our little champions who participated in the Kindy - Year 2 Sports Carnival on Friday, 5 September. Our youngest athletes ran, jumped, threw, laughed and cheered their way through the fun-filled morning. They were also treated to a special presentation from our Hillcrest Knights Cheerleading Team at morning tea. 

Well done to all of our students for giving every activity a go at the Carnival, we are so proud of you!

Special thanks to our staff who contributed to making this event such a special time for the youngest of our College family.

Creeping... crawling... sliding... flapping... buzzing... whizzing mini beasts! Our Year 2 classrooms were filled with a multitude of mini beasts ready for our wonderful Mini Beasts Day! The event was a culmination of weeks of researching, planning, designing, and construction, in preparation for this highlight on our JLC calendar. Our classes presented songs, poems and interesting facts about mini beasts to our many audiences throughout the day, including our younger years. Children also individually showed visitors their research and mini beast replicas while being suitably dressed for the occasion.

Congratulations Year 2s on a wonderful, creepy, crawly Mini Beasts Day!

During the Spring of 2019, students from 3/4Lumos designed, planted, tendered and watered their secret gardens. After extensive research, they then prepared leaflets of interesting facts about their chosen environmental concern. These findings were shared during public viewing times in the last few weeks of Term 3.  

The environmental concerns they explored were:

1. Water Pollution
2. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
3. Environmental Pollution
4. Introduced Species
5. Disappearing Bees
6. Deforestation

These topics were depicted within their landscaped garden bed, and signage was strategically placed above each garden so that visitors could be informed about what they could do to help the environment in their daily lives.

The Designed-Centred Learning project culminated with some foods from the garden harvested and a class picnic in the garden. We invite our College community to visit these gardens behind the chicken coop to see how our students' learning has literally come to life.

The future was in the Year 3 classrooms on Monday, 16 September, as students showed off their designs and models for a future invention. They have been exploring the Design-Centred Learning (DCL) question: 'How can we use the inventions of the past and present, to inspire a future innovation?' 

Throughout Term 3, they investigated the process of inventions and design, the importance of feedback and questioning during the process, and the impact that historic and recent inventions have had on our everyday lives. It was fantastic to see the students' thinking develop throughout the term as they took part in this process. They particularly enjoyed presenting these inventions to the Year 4s and their parents during the invention expo.

As Term 3 comes to a close, it is important to remember to keep the Mission team in your prayers as they work their way through Thailand, serving the local people and spreading the good Word. Please also keep our Basketball teams in your prayers as both the male and female teams chase State Titles over the coming weekend. 

We have a few staffing changes for Term 4 with David Owens taking Long Service Leave, and Sam Fesuk returning from personal leave to rejoin the Science Faculty. Any classes that have a change of teacher for Term 4 will be notified via email before the end of term. 
 
Finally, I would like to wish you a relaxing and safe holiday break. As Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It is important that our students stop to recharge over the break so that they can reset and be ready for another big finish to the year. There are always many important events to attend in Term 4, so I have listed some of the major events in the first four weeks below for you to be reminded of. 

Enjoy your well-earned break,

Darren Rackemann
Acting Head of Senior Learning Community

Year 9: Personal Pathway Plans

A reminder to all Year 9 students to complete and submit your PPP document by Friday, 20 September (last day of this term). Please email your PPP document to pathways@hillcrest.qld.edu.au.

(PPP interviews will be held in Week 3, Term 4. Parents and students are required to attend, and more information will be coming home to Year 9 parents).

Year 10: Bond University Headstart Day

On Monday, 21 October (Term 4's Student Free Day), from 9.00am - 1.30pm, Bond University are hosting Headstart Day which is an excellent opportunity for Year 10 students to experience university life. Attendees will hear about how to future-proof their careers, get study tips for their final years of high school, tour Bond’s facilities, hear from current Bondies about which programs may be best for them, and much more. This is a free event for Year 10 students – click here for more information or to register.

Year 11: Opportunities Galore

There are many opportunities for Year 11 students ranging from school-based traineeships, where you can combine a paid job with a Certificate III qualification, to standalone Certificate courses in nursing, business, hospitality, health, fitness, rec studies, construction, electrotechnology and many more!

Year 12: Bond University Test Drive Program

Year 12 students are invited to take Bond's programs for a Test Drive these September school holidays (20 September - 7 October). With more than 100 classes to choose from, across all of Bond's study areas, students can join any class in an area they are passionate about. They will be able to observe what happens in an undergraduate program, and experience university for themselves. They will also have the opportunity to meet with their Domestic Regional Manager to discuss their study options and application process. Find out more about the Test Drive program, or register to attend.

Careers in Defence

There are still a few spots left for the STEM Activities Day on Monday, 30 September, for interested students.

The Navy Open Day is also coming up on Saturday, 12 October, from 10am - 2pm at Miami State High School. This will be an action-packed day where families will have the chance to find out about all of the exciting roles available in the Navy. More information will be sent out shortly but anyone interested can RSVP for this event.

Email Mrs Joelle McCully in Careers, for more information about any of the activities listed.

Saturday’s warm temperatures and cloudless blue sky provided the perfect conditions for our biennial Funtastic Fete. Record numbers of attendees flocked to the College Oval and surrounding Castle precinct throughout the afternoon, to enjoy the many Fete festivities on offer. There was certainly something for everyone; from the foodies, to the adrenalin junkies, reptile and animal lovers, courageous cowboys, music enthusiasts, proud grandparents, creative kids, to the students who got to dunk their brave teachers.

The Fete provides so much more for our College than just a fun day out for family and friends, but gives us all an opportunity to be generous with our time, resources and God-given talents, to serve and love our broader community, and showcase our unique College environment.
 
The profound success of this event was only made possible thanks to months of careful preparation and tireless work from our P&F volunteers, ably led by President, Summa Coleman, and Vice-President, Kylie Da Ros. Special thanks also goes to the many Hillcrest staff, parents, and students, who volunteered with the event set up, running the many stalls, providing incredible performances and helping with the large clean-up effort afterwards – an event of this magnitude takes a large team of volunteers, and we appreciate every person for their contribution. Thanks to all of our 2019 Fete Sponsors, who generously supported this important event.

Funds raised from the Fete will be used by the P&F for future projects that will continue to enhance our College, for the benefit of students.

We have just taken our largest-ever team of volunteers to Thailand and Myanmar for our annual international Mission Trip. On Wednesday, our 40 dedicated staff and senior students embarked on one of the greatest serving adventures of their lifetime, where they will spend two weeks in Northern Thailand and Myanmar. Our 2019 Mission Trip theme is Growth and is based on the bible verses in Jeremiah 17:7-8, which affirms that trust and hope in God helps us all to grow.

The team met regularly in the months leading up to this trip, to pray together and prepare lesson plans and activities for the children they will teach, and the communities they will serve. Hillcrest has had a long-standing relationship with the local people there and with the organisation Effective Aid International, and we look forward to continuing to build upon these relationships again this year. Our students will run English lessons, activity camps, chapel services and work on practical building projects. Our team will also provide support to an amazing local family, who started a Christian school for local refugee children there. They will undertake work with the Teacher Training College students, the 125 children from jungle village schools in Myanmar, and the new Year 10 - 12 school students who are being taught by former Hillcrest teacher, Alison Whebell.

Please join our College community in upholding our Mission team in prayer throughout their trip. We pray that God richly blesses their experience and continually protects them, as they selflessly sacrifice their time to positively serve and impact others.

We look forward to seeing and hearing about how God moves in a powerful way, as our students and staff focus on serving others and God throughout this trip.

We have all been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the 2020 Years 7 - 9 Musical, and we are very excited to announce that Hillcrest Christian College will be staging:

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (UK Edition)

The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colours comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Set to an engaging wealth of musical styles, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless.  

The Musical will be staged in Term 2 from May 6 - 9, 2020.

It has been great to hear so many people in our community commenting on the vibrant new artwork on our buses, and to see students excitedly pointing out their 'famous' friends.

Term 4 Bus Passes

The Term 4 bus pass link is now available for you to purchase your passes for next term. Students are not permitted to travel on one of our scheduled services without a valid pass. Payment can be made via this link.

Term 3 was a busy month for our Hillcrest musicians as they took to the stage for the Gold Coast Eisteddfod season. The Gold Coast Eisteddfod is the largest competition of its kind in Australia, and sees over 65,000 performers come and go from the stages of three different venues. Over a three-week period, our choral and instrumental students from Years 4 - 12 had the opportunity to perform on the stage of the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts (HOTA). Each and every Hillcrest ensemble performed incredibly well within their section, and exemplified what it is to represent Hillcrest. They demonstrated their performance skills at a very high level, and also their life skills – encouraging all performers from other schools, being polite and well-mannered when interacting with Eisteddfod and HOTA staff and stage managers, and maintaining exemplary etiquette both on the stage and in the audience.

We began with Choral week, and our ten choirs from Years 4 - 12 performed over four days and sung their way through 26 songs, sharing joy with others. Bel Canto were successful in winning the Premier Grade Division of the Eisteddfod, which is an Open Age category and attracts choirs from interstate and Brisbane. The adjudicator commented that 'their standard was one which he would expect to find at University level in Oxford, England, and would like to take them over there to tour.'

The competition continued for our Instrumental students from the Strings and Band ensembles over the following two weeks. Some highlights were watching our Drumline perform with marching and movement for the very first time and having our stage band, Volare, compete for the first time ever in the stage band section.

Congratulations to all of our performers and their teachers, and to the parents for your support in transporting students to and from rehearsals each week!

Hillcrest's 2019 Eisteddfod Results

2020 will see the College embark on a Years 7 - 9 Musical. With this in mind, our Year 6 students had the exciting opportunity to experience a little of what it is like, during our recent Musical Boot Camp. They practiced a combination of the skills needed to sing, dance and act, in a musical theatre setting. They were also able to ask next year's Hillcrest Musical staff questions about the audition process, and what it is like to be a part of a production of this scale. Participating students took turns learning an excerpt from a song, a short dance sequence and a small scene of dialogue, and then put all of that together in a short performance. 

We cannot wait to see what these students will achieve on the stage in the years ahead!

On Friday, 13 September, our Hillcrest Dance teams and academic Dance students, wowed their audience of family and friends, as they showcased their work from 2019 at the inaugural Unleash Dance Concert. We also welcomed special guest artists from Hyfidelity Dance and Brent Street.

Congratulations to all of our students on their incredible performances, and for a great year of Dance at Hillcrest Christian College.

Thanks to our dance teachers and choreographers Ms Stenta, Mrs Boucher and Miss Ebony Moon, for your amazing work with the students throughout the year.

Our Vocal students invite you, our Hillcrest family and friends, to join them as they present 'Astonishing,' on Wednesday, 16 October. This free concert will commence at 6pm in the Theatre, and we hope to see you there!

From June and September this year, many of our Speech and Drama students participated in one or more Speech and DramaFestivals. It was a very busy time for these students as they practiced their performances and participated in the Festivals, but the enjoyable experience and the benefits of gaining lifeskills and self-confidence, was well worth the time and effort. Well done to our performers who took part in the program for the first time, and showed such courage performing in front of the audience.

Congratulations to all of our students for their participation this year, and to those who received special awards.

The 88th Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts ran from 21 – 25 June, 2019, and Hillcrest students from Prep - Year 7 received a number of awards. View the full list of recipients via the button below:

The Somerset Festival for Young Performers took place from the 24 - 25 August, and many of Speech and Drama students participated in this event. We enjoyed the more relaxed festival atmosphere and very encouraging reports from all adjudicators. It was a wonderful opportunity to share what the students had learned, in the presence of family members and friends. View the full list of recipients via the button below:

 The Speech and Drama section of the 38th Gold Coast Eisteddfod occurred from 2 - 11 September, and once again there were wonderful results as students gained confidence and developed their performance skills. View the full list of recipients via the button below:

On Saturday, September 14, Hillcrest took two teams to the Primary Schools Netball Cup on the Sunshine Coast. More than 160 teams from across Queensland took part in this two-day competition with a Championship and Development Division, and special guest visitors from the Queensland Firebirds and Australian Diamonds.

Our squad of 18 Years 5 and 6 students, represented the College with incredible sportsmanship, personal integrity and resilience. Many opposing players looked twice the height of ours, yet the Hillcrest teams rose to the occasion and played with skill, heart and passion. The spirit of Hillcrest KNIGHTS was alive and inspiring. Some players took some heavy falls and a few sharp elbows, but they held strong to their own game and kept determined smiles on their faces.

The Championship Team was eligible for Division 1 (out of 4) after the first day of play, and they successfully progressed after being undefeated in their pool on Day 2, and progressing to the Semi Final. Unfortunately our determined team went down by one goal in the last seconds of the game, to place 4th overall in the State. This is such a high achievement for our players and makes Hillcrest the highest-ranked school on the Gold Coast, for this event.

The Development Team was comprised of girls who were one or two years younger than many of the opposing players, so it was encouraging to see them undefeated on Day 1, and qualify for Development Division 1 (out of 5). Although Day 2 was much harder, they came away with a win in the middle of the day and gave 100% effort until the very end. It was such an incredible experience for them and all our young players were able to grow and develop through both the losses and the wins. We look forward to seeing many of these Year 5 girls bring their experience to next year’s event.

The success of Hillcrest’s JLC Netball Program is fuelled by Hillcrest Club Netball, Interschool Sport and the School-Based Representative Program. A special thanks to our coordinator, Mrs Michelle Pohlmann, as well as the Sports Admin team of Shireen Geddes and Natalie Stojcevski for their efforts in administering and developing this program. We also had some coaches volunteer at this event with rep coach Nikki Ross supporting Mrs Pohlmann. Her experience and skill added significant value to the growth of the players.

Congratulations to all the players, parents, coaches and managers on an exceptional outcome!

Sienna Kavanagh, from Year 7, was awarded the Most Promising Classical Dancer 12 years and under at the Gold Coast Dance Eistedfodd this year. This was a great honour for Sienna, providing encouragement and recognition to this incredible young dancer who has shown so much dedication and passion for dance.