Chairo Christian School | |
---|---|
Location | |
, | |
Coordinates | 38°8′36″S145°52′40″E / 38.14333°S 145.87778°E |
Information | |
Type | Christian |
Motto | Learning with God |
Established | 1983 |
Principal | Simon Matthews |
Enrolment | approx. 1,700 (K3–12) [1] |
Campuses | Drouin Campus (Yrs 5–12) Drouin East Campus (K3–Yr 4) Pakenham Campus (K3–Yr 12) Leongatha Campus (K3–Yr 10) Traralgon Campus (K3–Yr 8) |
Houses | Aylward Elliot Flynn Liddell |
Colour(s) | Navy blue, gold and white |
Website | www |
Chairo Christian School is a multi-campus co-educational private, non-denominational Christian School with campuses in Drouin, Victoria, Drouin East, Pakenham, Victoria, Leongatha, Victoria, and Traralgon, Victoria.
Founded in 1983, Chairo currently caters for over 1,700 students from Prep to Year 12 all across Gippsland, with the largest campus being at Pakenham. Chairo Christian School also has a Kindergarten program that caters for children aged 3–4.
According to a statement from its principal, the school teaches both evolution and creationism, though clearly states the school's belief in creationism in such classes. [2]
Chairo was founded in 1983 with 19 students and one teacher on the Drouin East Campus, which was the old Drouin East Primary School. This original school building has since been retired, being relocated at Mill Valley Ranch in Tynong, Victoria in 1999. There are now more than 1,600 students within the campuses. The name "Chairo" comes from the Greek "χαιρω", meaning "Rejoice".
The school's Pakenham Campus began its VCE classes in 2008 and its music curriculum in 2009 with its first production of Seussical the Musical , Peter Pan in 2010 and Barnum in 2011.
Chairo Christian School is affiliated with Independent Schools Victoria (ISV), Christian Education National (CEN) and the Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACC)
Chairo is also part of a variety of Inter-School networks that compete regularly with Sporting and Cultural events. School Sports Victoria (SSV) network, Christian Schools Events Network (CSEN), and the Gippsland Independent Schools Association (GIS), originally competing in Sports and Cultural competitions, now solely Cultural and leadership events and occasions.
Chairo Christian School features five campuses. Originally starting with their Drouin East Campus in 1983 then expanding to a Senior Campus in Drouin. In 1998, Chairo expanded into the Pakenham area facilitating a large expansion becoming the largest campus. In 2014 the School took management of a new Leongatha Campus originally starting in 1978 called South Coast Christian College. In 2018, the Traralgon Campus originally a campus of Flinders Christian Community College, becoming the latest member of the Chairo family.
In 1995, the house system was originally introduced to the Drouin Senior Campus initially with under twenty students in each House. The Drouin Houses were named after iconic Christian Missionaries which included Aylward House (blue), named after Gladys Aylward. Elliot House (red), named after Jim Elliot. Flynn House (green), named after John Flynn and Liddell House (yellow), named after Eric Liddell. After the introduction of a third campus in Pakenham, a new house system was introduced named after founding families of the school. This included Ballantyne (blue), Hughes (yellow), Knowles (red) and Noordermeer (green). In the Leongatha campus, three Houses were established in 2014 with three Houses named Banksia (red), Bluegum (blue) and Wattle (yellow), named after fauna found in Australia.
During House events such as Athletics and Swimming at the Drouin Campus, the Leongatha (orange) and Traralgon (purple) Campus participate as two additional Houses, regardless of their respected Houses interior to the campuses.
Chairo offers its Years 11 and 12 students the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), the main assessment program which ranks the students in the state, as well as the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).
Hockey
Chairo has a strong history in Field Hockey. In 2022 and 2023 the Senior Girls team won the State School Victoria (SSV) hockey championships. Their girls intermediate team also won it in 2019 and were runner up in 2018. In 2022 after playing for the Victorian State School team at the Australian Championships in Tasmania, Bianca Zurrer was named in the All Australian Team. Bianca Zurrer and Marisah Mock represented Victoria in the National Under 18 Hockey Championships on the Gold Coast in 2024. They lost to Queensland 2-1 in the Grand Final where afterwards Bianca Zurrer was named player of the tournament. As a result she was named in the squad for HC Melbourne which plays in Australia national league called Hockey One. On November 15th 2024 she made her debut for HC Melbourne and helped them to a win against Canberra Chill in Canberra.
Chairo Christian School won the Boys Division in the International Schools Netball Championships in 2011 [3]
Chairo Christian School offers at all its campuses a sophisticated and engaging music curriculum which includes a variety of music genres and styles from concert band, choir and worship bands. The Pakenham Campus' popular Music On The Lawn is special event held yearly on the lawn of the campus gardens which showcases the talent of students throughout all year levels.
The Drouin, Leongatha and Traralgon campuses compete against one another alongside other GIS schools at the annual 'MuseArtz' festival.
At Chairo Christian School, each senior campus has a strong theatrical presence in holding concerts and musical productions either yearly or biyearly, holding other theatrical events in between like the popular 'Out There' in Secondary at the Drouin Campus, or 'Cabaret' at the Leongatha Campus.
Notable Chairo productions include Fiddler on the Roof , Sound of Music , Beauty and the Beast and Oliver! , each held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre. With the recent building of a Cultural Centre, 'The Balfour', Chairo now has the capacity to hold musicals and productions all year round.
Traralgon is a city located in the east of the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia and the most populous city in the City of Latrobe and the region. The urban population of Traralgon at the 2021 census was 26,907. It is the largest and fastest growing city in the greater Latrobe Valley area, which has a population of 77,168 at the 2021 Census and is administered by the City of Latrobe.
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical district and urban area of the Gippsland region in the state of Victoria, Australia. The traditional owners are the Brayakaulung of the Gunai nation. The district lies east of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Baw Baw Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, to the north. Mount St Phillack is the highest peak to the north of the Latrobe Valley, due north of Moe. The highest peak to the south is Mt Tassie, south of Traralgon.
Pakenham is a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, 53 km (33 mi) south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District and the most populous in the Shire of Cardinia. Pakenham recorded a population of 54,118 at the 2021 census.
Garfield railway station is a regional railway station on the Gippsland line, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the town of Garfield, in Victoria, Australia. Garfield station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 17 December 1884.
Drouin railway station is a regional railway station on the Gippsland line, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the town of Drouin, in Victoria, Australia. Drouin station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring an island platform with two faces. It opened on 1 March 1878.
Warragul railway station is a regional railway station on the Gippsland line, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the town of Warragul, in Victoria, Australia. Warragul station is a ground level premium station, featuring one side platform. It opened on 1 March 1878, with the current station provided in 2015.
Morwell railway station is a regional railway station on the Gippsland line, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the town of Morwell, in Victoria, Australia. Morwell station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring one side platform. It opened on 1 June 1877.
Nar Nar Goon is a town in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, 61 km (38 mi) south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shire of Cardinia local government area. Nar Nar Goon recorded a population of 1,023 at the 2021 census.
Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located 135 kilometres (84 mi) south-east of Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Leongatha had a population of 5,869.
Gippsland Independent Schools (GIS) is an association of schools in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The association organises many inter-school extracurricular competitions. These include swimming, diving, athletics, summer sports (cricket, tennis, softball and basketball), winter sports (football, soccer, hockey and netball), and cultural festivals, including drama, chess, dance and debating. Students from year 7 and up can participate in most of these events.
The Gippsland railway line is a railway line serving the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions of Victoria, Australia. It runs east from the state capital Melbourne through Warragul, Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Sale and terminating at Bairnsdale.
Beaconhills College is a co-educational, ecumenical, independent school providing education from early learning to prep to year 12. The college has 2 campuses: One located in Pakenham, Victoria and one located in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, each campus with a co-located Little Beacons Learning Centre.
Traralgon College is a dual-campus government-funded co-educational secondary day school, located in Traralgon, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
Lavalla Catholic College is a dual-campus independent Roman Catholic co-educational secondary day school, located in the towns of Traralgon and Newborough in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Currently, the school has approximately 1,200 students enrolled across all campuses.
The Gippsland League is an Australian rules football and netball league in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It is considered the only AFL Victoria major league in Gippsland.
Sacred Heart Girls' College (SHGC) is an independent Roman Catholic secondary school for girls from years 7 to 12 located in the Melbourne south-eastern suburb of Oakleigh, in Victoria, Australia. It was opened in 1957 by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDM). The College houses approximately 1000 students.
Christian College is a K–12 private school located over six campuses in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Westbourne Grammar School is an Australian independent co-educational day school in Truganina, a western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. Westbourne has two campuses. The larger campus, opened in 1978, is located on Sayers Road in Truganina and offers classes for students at all levels, kindergarten to the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). A smaller campus is situated in nearby Williamstown and provides education for students up to and including Year 4. Amici ELC provides childcare and kindergarten at the Truganina campus.
Heathdale Christian College is a private, non-denominational, Christian, co-educational school in Werribee, in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The Warragul Football and Netball Club, nicknamed the Gulls, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the city of the same name in the state of Victoria.