This term, I had the pleasure of teaching Year 8 Quest (Christian Studies). We have been exploring the Bible as one epic story. Over the weeks, we considered how the events and key figures of the Old Testament all pointed to the good news of the coming Messiah and how Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies from 1000 years before he hung on the cross. At the end of the lesson this week, I challenged the students to consider what the true focus of Easter is.

Easter is a reflective occasion just as much as it is a celebration. On Good Friday, we remember and acknowledge the suffering that Jesus went through—not only as he hung on the cross after being tortured, but also the anguish of isolation and separation from God as He took on the sin of humanity as a sacrifice. However, Easter Sunday is a day of celebration and eternal hope. It’s the day that changed everything—the moment Jesus rose from the grave, defeating death and offering us the gift of new life.

In John 11:25, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” That’s not just a future hope—it’s a present one. Because of Jesus, we’re reminded that there is always the possibility of new life, fresh purpose and a future that’s never beyond redemption.

Easter is not just a story we tell—it’s the foundation of the hope we live. I pray this Easter season, you are able to find a time to remember, a time to rest and a time to celebrate.

Happy Easter!

Supporting Wellbeing Through Community & Belonging

Over the past two editions of our College newsletters, we have been examining our guardrails as a College. Our third guardrail is:

'We Support Wellbeing Through Community and Belonging.'

We know that children and young people thrive when they feel seen, known and valued—and that wellbeing grows best in a community where students and have genuine connections and purpose.

In 2024, The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that 1 in 7 children under the age of 17 had experienced mental illness (2024). Our priority is to develop a physically and psychologically safe community where people feel secure in asking questions, sharing thoughts and opinions, and taking risks without fear of judgment. These communities are established when each person takes on the responsibility of “loving your neighbour as you love yourself.” (Mark 12:31)

Our Thrive Wellbeing Framework provides a proactive approach to support the development of a healthy, holistic approach to personal wellbeing. It is currently being explored in our connect classes each week.

Easter Already!

It has been quite an eventful start to the year. From changes and developments in curriculum, to the implementation of a wellbeing framework, to new classrooms and the addition of wonderful new staff through to a cyclone ... not much more could have happened. In partnering with families, we are well aware of the growing needs in the domain of children’s mental wellbeing.

Nurturing Wellbeing Through Creation Play

In today’s world, children are spending more time indoors than ever before. And with school holidays upon us, there is no better time than now to get out and about and enjoy God’s creation. Screens, schedules and modern living often limit opportunities for outdoor play. However, research continues to highlight the significant role connection with creation (‘nature contacts’) plays in a child’s wellbeing—especially in the early years of life.

God has given us a beautiful world full of sights, sounds and textures that can enrich a child’s growth and development. From climbing rocks and running up hills to feeling the softness of sand or the roughness of tree bark, God provides endless opportunities for children to engage their senses, develop social skills and build emotional resilience. As Psalm 104:24 reminds us, “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom, you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

Time in creation can be incredibly diverse. It can involve exploring landscapes like hills and creeks, playing with loose materials like sticks and leaves, interacting with living things like plants and insects and even embracing different weather conditions—jumping in puddles after rain or feeling the sun's warmth. There is no set formula for how much time children need in creation, but we know that every interaction, big or small, has a positive impact.

At our school, we encourage children to engage with God’s creation through outdoor play and learning experiences. Whether it’s gardening, nature walks on camps or simply playing under the shade of a tree, these moments help nurture joy, curiosity and a deep appreciation for God’s handiwork. As Job 12:7-10 says, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you ... In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”

By fostering a love for creation, we are supporting children’s wellbeing and nurturing their faith—helping them see God’s glory in the world around them. So, let’s encourage our children to step outside, explore and delight in the wonders of God’s creation!

Some of my highlights in the short time I have been on the Sunny Coast have included….

1. Noosa National Park: stunning coastal walks, breathtaking views of cliffs, pristine beaches and lush forests. 
   
2. Kondalilla National Park: Kondalilla Falls, a 4.7-kilometre circuit track that takes you through lush rainforest to a cascading waterfall and a serene rock pool.
   
3. Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World: expansive gardens that feature a diverse range of flora and offer panoramic views. The Bird World Sanctuary allows families to interact with a variety of exotic birds in a controlled environment.​
   
4. Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park: well-mapped walking tracks and abundant wildflowers, it's an ideal spot for families to explore and learn about local ecosystems.​
   
5. Bli Bli Watersports Complex (not natural, but lots of fun with water): a range of water-based activities suitable for various age groups, from wakeboarding to inflatable water parks.

However you choose to spend time with your family, my prayer is that you will enjoy a relaxing and blessed Easter.

God bless

Luke Bracks

Head of Primary

Romans 6:8-11: "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Foundations of Life, Learning and Wellbeing

Across Term 1, Secondary have been exploring the Foundations of Faith and Question, and our Wellbeing Foci of Soul, including the elements of Values, Purpose and Servant Heart. 

In Week 10, our wellbeing lesson on ‘Humble Service’ exemplifies the character of Jesus and how His life and ultimate sacrifice for our sins demonstrates His enduring love for each of us. As we move into the Easter season, we encourage a time of reflection of what this means for each of us and how through Jesus’ death and resurrection, a connection with God can be ignited in us. By the blessing of the Holy Spirit, we are forgiven and freed! What a mind-blowing gift!

International Students

At the conclusion of the term, some of our short-stay international students are returning home. We give thanks for the amazing friendships formed and for the opportunity to learn about other cultures  and pray that the connections with our students can continue. Thank you Yuna, Momoka, Taiga, Kaho, Yui, Iroha and Thommy for joining us this term! 

Courage to Improve in Learning

Congratulations to all of our students for their courage and efforts for improvement over the assessment period, as well as to our Year 7 and 9 students during NAPLAN. Report cards will be sent out at the end of this week and we look forward to continuing to build strong partnerships between students, families and teachers at our Student-Parent-Teacher conferences scheduled for Tuesday, Week 2 in Term 2. Please encourage your child to reflect on their report card over the Easter holiday and be ready to set some goals with their teachers for a successful Term 2. 

Secondary Staff

Lastly, we give thanks for the faithful service of Ms Golding, Mr Pogson and Mrs Anslow in the Secondary Learning Community. As God leads them to new chapters, we give thanks for their impact at CalCC and pray for every blessing on their new paths. We also pray for Mr Underhill and his family as he embarks on long service leave. We are grateful to welcome back Mr Kuhl from long service leave and also welcome Mr Maritz to the Secondary team in Term 2! 

We apreciate your prayers for the Lord to bless our staffing needs at this time. We will be notifying students and families early next term where there has been a change in class teacher. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you and your families over the coming Easter holidays. May this be a time of reflection, gratitude and rest for you. 

With blessings

Dr Amber-Lee Donahoo

Head of Secondary Learning Community

Can you tell us about your role here at CalCC?

I help teach 28 adorable, jumpy Year 1 students.

Where you are from and what attracted you to CalCC and Caloundra?

I love Caloundra and the Sunshine Coast for the beach, surfing, weather and lifestyle. I also love CalCC for the smaller community.

What did you do before CalCC?

Before teaching at Caloundra Christian College I was a carpenter and had also worked for Glasshouse Christian College.

Which of the foundations for life and learning resonates with you the most and why?

I enjoy all the foundations for life and learning, especially faith, integrity, courage, question, create and improve. I believe that everyone can better themselves every day when they apply themselves and see the good in life. Staying positive, running your own race and striving to kick bigger goals every day. Loving life, loving God and living for Him.

What are you passionate about?

I love meeting people. I'm passionate about young people and love to see them be the best version of themselves. I love when kids say: "I DID IT!"

What is on your bucket list?

My bucket list contains more travelling, surfing, swimming with more whales, turtles and sharks. I want to run a 100km trail ultra marathon. Having more good old adventures with the family and kids. I also want to play ice hockey.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

I have two:

Ephesians 4:23-24:"To be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Philippians 4:13:"I can do all things through Christ strengthens me."

What is your favourite sport/hobby? And why?

My favourite sport is ALL SPORTS. Running and ultra marathons, swimming, bike riding,  AFL, basketball, surfing, diving, motorbikes, tennis, badminton, squash pickleball and soccer skating.

Funny fact about you?

My footy team hasn't won a final in 7,374 days. 

As we wrap up Term 1, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all parents and students who participated in our Scholastic Book Fair. Despite some unexpected challenges due to Cyclone Alfred, our College community came together and we successfully raised over $300 worth of books for our library! Many of these new additions have already been placed in our ‘New Books’ display, and we encourage students to borrow one as part of their holiday reading.

With the school break upon us, we want to remind everyone of the importance of continuing to read over the holidays. Reading not only supports literacy and learning but also sparks curiosity and imagination. To help students find their next great read, our library displays currently feature a variety of books, including our newest arrivals, historical fiction and a special selection of Easter stories. These books are perfect for keeping young minds engaged over the break!

In exciting news, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has opened the Queensland regional Reader’s Cup competition. We are thrilled to have a dedicated Year 7/8 team eager to begin reading the set books and preparing for the challenge. The Year 7/8 Reader’s Cup competition will take place in early June and we look forward to seeing our students compete against other local schools in this literary quiz.

As we head into the Easter break, we pray that everyone enjoys a safe and happy holiday. We look forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready for another exciting term of learning and reading!

Happy reading and happy holidays!

Congratulations to Flynn Vella, Sabelle Hincksman, Ava Vella, Tristan Hincksman and Monica Tanner for their fantastic efforts at Secondary District Swimming! All five swimmers competed in A Division, achieving impressive times against tough competition.

A special shoutout to Sabelle and Flynn, who both secured first place in some of their races - an incredible achievement! We’re also excited to see Flynn, Sabelle, Ava and Tristan qualify for Regional Swimming.

Well done to all our swimmers for their dedication and sportsmanship - we are proud of you!

We are keen to enter a team in the Sunshine Coast Primary Schools netball competition which will be held on 4 June at Fisherman's Rd Sports Complex. Depending on numbers, we are hoping to enter a Year 4/5 (development) and a Years 5-7 (championship) team.

Please note trial date and other details:
When: 3 April 2025
Time: 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm
Where: College basketball courts
Who: Students in Years 4-7 (boys and girls)

Important:  if your child is selected they will be required to attend practice sessions every Friday starting 2 May until the gala which will be on the 4 June.

If you wish to attend the trial please email Ms Sarah-Jane Robertson - sj.robertson@calcc.qld.edu.au

This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to develop physical skills in a safe and competitive environment and your support is greatly appreciated.

Sarah-Jane Robertson
Primary Sports Coordinator

One aspect of parenting my husband and I always tried to be intentional about was developing a servant-hearted attitude in our four children. We didn’t always nail it, but as parents we intentionally provided opportunities and encouraged them to use the abilities God had gifted them to bless others.

For our family, this looked like baking for chaplaincy stalls at school, helping at Sunday School, being camp leaders at Christian Youth Camps and, instead of focussing on a schoolies week away, three of them chose to do a two-month mission trip overseas. Three of my children did puppet shows in local schools sharing the message of God’s love in state schools and one of them volunteered at Landsborough museum for months. It developed in them an others-oriented approach to life. Of my four children, Job is a high school teacher and works with PCYC training the basket ball team, Rachel an accountant, works in a Gym with disadvantaged and struggling youth, James is an engineer and supports Destiny Rescue running events and Hannah makes items for my market stalls for Destiny Rescue and sponsors children overseas. Some of them are already teaching their young children the same heart for others. It is a legacy I celebrate.

Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than receive” in Acts 20:35. One of the best ways you can grow your child’s confidence, identity and self esteem is to grow their ability to serve. When we help others we grow ourselves, in all the fruits of the Holy Spirit [love, joy, pace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control].

Of course, it is really important to model being servant hearted to your family. 

I thought I would share my heart for the charity Destiny Rescue which rescues and restores children’s lives from sex trafficking around the world. I sell cards and gifts at local markets and donate the funds to the charity. Often my children would come with me and help manage the stall (they still do and they are in their early thirties!).

I am holding an auction on the 10 May in Mooloolah Public Hall where I live. You are very welcome to book a ticket ($10 covers entry and a choice of a drink and dessert) via this link below. Or maybe you would like to donate a service or item or voucher to the auction. It promises to be a lovely community event with live music, drinks and a dessert bar and some bargains to be gotten to boot!

What can your family get behind or support to grow your children’s servant heart? Take some time this Easter to brainstorm ideas with your family. It’s a perfect time to reflect on this as we reflect on Jesus, the ultimate example of a servant heart, he came into this world knowing he would give his life for the lives of others. 

Mark 10:41-45 “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Wishing you all a blessed Easter

Fi

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

We are seeking friendly, professional educators:

• A Lead Educator, and
• An Assistant

To deliver quality OSHC programs for either before and/or after school care. This position is part-time casual with shifts available during school term-time and school holidays for vacation care.

Cleaners

We are currently seeking applications from highly motivated and suitably experienced persons, capable of fulfilling multiple cleaning positions with our College. Casual opportunities available at above award rates.

Tuckshop Vollies

We are seeking the help of some volunteers for our tuckshop. If you have a few hours to spare on Fridays, we would love to hear from you.

Contact Dawn and let her know if this might be you! You can email here at employment@calcc.qld.edu.au

We’re excited to introduce Karolina Jezoirska, an accomplished musician and educator, now available to teach Violin, Viola, Cello and Theory at Caloundra Music Academy.

• About Karolina:
  Studied at the Music Conservatory in Czestochowa, Poland (Violin Major, Piano Second).
• Holds a teaching degree in English Philology and a Post-grad degree in Translation.
• Has been teaching one-on-one since 2008, preparing students for AMEB exams, concerts and eisteddfods.
• Currently teaches at Unity College, St Joseph’s and St Theresa’s College Caboolture.

Lesson Availability:

• During school hours (for CalCC students)
• After school for external students

If you would like to book a lesson with Karolina or learn more, please contact Caloundra Music Academy:

P: 5492 5952 | 0412 838 546
E: musicmancma@gmail.com
W: caloundramusicacademy.com

We’re so pleased to have Karolina on board and can’t wait to see our students flourish under her guidance!

Blessings,
Kenneth Kelley
Principal

College Administration

Open: 8:00 am-3:45 pm
Phone: 07 5436 6777
Email: general@calcc.qld.edu.au

Absentee Lines

Phone: 07 5436 6767
SMS: 0418 986 308
College App: Go to app store, search for Caloundra Christian College and download
Bus: https://cloud.itmprojects.com.au/studenttracking/

Uniform Shop

Open term time only.
Tuesday - 8:00 am-9:30 am and 2:00 pm-3:30 pm
Thursday - 8:00 am-9:30 am
Online ordering available through MSA

Outside School Hours Care

Before School Hours: 7:00 am-8:00 am (term time)
After School Hours: 3:00 pm-6:00 pm (term time)
Vacation Care: 7:00 am-6:00 pm (holidays)
Phone: 0422 843 760

Flourish Early Learning Community

Open: 7:15 am-6:00 pm
Phone: 07 5436 6777

International Program

Mark Spencer - Program Manager
overseas@calcc.qld.edu.au

Complaints Handling Policy