Welcome to Freshwater
It is my privilege to extend a warm welcome to prospective families at Freshwater Christian College. At Freshwater, we provide the context and conditions for each child to flourish, both spiritually, academically and socially.
The College’s Mission – LIFE, LOVE, LEARN – defines our core purpose in creating an inspirational and holistic learning environment that celebrates and acknowledges the wonderful gift of life and the uniqueness of every child. Freshwater is more than a school, it is a community. One in which students are known and valued for who they are and encouraged and guided to explore their God-given talents.
I would invite you to consider our College as one which will serve the needs of your child, both now and in the future.
Matthew Scott
Principal
Our Story
Freshwater Christian College has been supporting, encouraging and inspiring children at our Brinsmead campus, in the tropical city of Cairns, since 1983. The College was birthed out of the bold and courageous vision and faith of Freshwater Church to provide a biblically-focused education for children in the region. The College has consistently maintained its Mission to provide high-quality education, from a Christian Worldview perspective infused with biblical virtues and godly wisdom.
Our Story
Freshwater Christian College has been supporting, encouraging and inspiring children at our Brinsmead campus, in the tropical city of Cairns, since 1983. The College was birthed out of the bold and courageous vision and faith of Freshwater Church to provide a biblically-focused education for children in the region. The College has consistently maintained its Mission to provide high-quality education, from a Christian Worldview perspective infused with biblical virtues and godly wisdom.
Mission & Virtues
The College’s Mission – LIFE, LOVE, LEARN – defines our core purpose in creating an inspirational and holistic learning culture that celebrates and acknowledges the wonderful gift of life and the uniqueness of every child. Our Christian learning community is inspired by and dedicated to love, care and compassion.
We seek to educate the whole child, ensuring that every student is nurtured and encouraged to grow in the important character qualities that will serve them for a lifetime of positive engagement with their community. We educate our students to understand the importance of Compassion, Courage, Humility, Honour, Integrity and Wisdom. These six important College Virtues represent the character qualities that we seek to develop in our students.
Our Leadership Team
Our highly qualified and experienced College Executive Team provides inspirational and visionary leadership for the College. This creative, innovative and cohesive team utilise a servant-leadership approach in building a whole-school culture of continuous improvement. The Executive Team meets on a regular basis and has a passion and commitment to ensuring that educational practice, research and policy are aligned effectively to empower the College to provide a blend of relevant and high-quality learning experiences for all Freshwater students.
Mr Matthew Scott, Principal
Matt is an experienced Educational Leader both in Melbourne and Singapore. He has a passion for lifelong learning which has seen him acquire a Bachelor of Education from Melbourne University, a Masters of Education from Monash University, a Graduate Diploma of Psychology from Monash University and a Graduate Certificate in Education (IB, PYP). He has recently completed Mindfulness Based Strategic Awareness Training (MBSAT) at Singapore Management University and is completing his honours year in Organisational Psychology through Monash University
Matt is an active member in the broader educational community, from speaking at conferences to authoring eBooks and mentoring teachers. Recent speaking engagements include EduTech Asia, Malaysia & Indonesia, The Singapore Student Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum, ACCE (Melbourne) CSA State Conference (Victoria), Digicon and PESA (Melbourne). He has experience working with multiple curriculum models, and has spent time developing national curriculum resources for Australian schools as well as being a consultant regarding 21st-century pedagogy across the state of Victoria. Matt is also a pedagogical consultant working closely with schools in South-East Asia to embed well-being practices into school communities and ecosystems. He serves as an advisor for a number of non-profit organisations aiming to improve well-being and educational outcomes for all.
Matt believes in a socio-constructivist approach to teaching and learning. He is driven by the desire to provide strong academic rigour, coupled with developing key dispositions and thinking routines that support students to be lifelong learners and compassionate citizens. Matt’s ambition is to see all students flourish, through spiritual, academic and social/emotional learning.
Personally, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife and five children. He has a passion for travelling and living an active lifestyle. On weekends he can be found running, walking, swimming and playing sports with his children.
Mr Paul Hutchinson, Business Manager
Paul comes to the Freshwater team with a depth of corporate experience in the government and Christian Not for Profit sectors. Paul has qualifications in project management, business management and disaster management. As well as practical experience in financial management and policy and procedure development. Paul is passionate about improving systems and processes to support the business activities of the College.
Paul, his wife and two children have lived in Cairns since 2014. Paul and his family enjoy travelling and sharing stories with others about travel experiences.
Mrs Belinda Raine, Kindergarten Director
Belinda Raine has directed childcare services since 1995, in Welfare, Outside School Hours Care and Long Day Care. Belinda holds a Degree in Early Childhood Teaching and is currently studying her Masters in Educational Leadership.
Belinda pioneered the development of our Kindergarten and has a passion for high-quality education and child care, maximising developmental outcomes for children under five years of age and supporting families with young children.
Mr Richard Schwarz, Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary
Richard Schwarz joined Freshwater Christian College as Head of Secondary in 2016. Moving north from Toowoomba, Richard has 20 years experience in Christian Schooling.
With a background in Senior English and IT, he is passionate about creating a culture of learning that is creative, relevant and relational, developing young leaders of character who will influence their community for God and for good. Richard moved to FNQ with Helen, the Curriculum Coordinator, and their four amazing girls.
Mr Max Natoli, Deputy Principal / Head of Primary
Max joined our team in 2009 as Head of Primary and was also given the role of Deputy Principal in 2017. He started Primary teaching in 1985 and has been an educator in Christian schooling for 22 years.
Max has loved living in Cairns with his wife Danila, who has also taught at FCC for 12 years. Max and Danila have two married children and two grandchildren. Max has been an avid supporter of educational mission work in Mozambique and loves playing golf with his mates at work.
Mrs Julieanne Lomas, Director of People Operations
Julieanne is the Director of People Operations and the Executive Assistant to the Principal at Freshwater Christian College. With over 16 years of experience at Freshwater, she leads the Administration and Cafe teams across the College and her motto is ‘together we are stronger’.
With qualifications in Leadership, Human Resources, and Business Administration, Julieanne believes in lifelong learning and has a passion for helping people grow, develop, and flourish into their full potential. Julieanne is married and has 3 children who all attended the College, and 3 gorgeous grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and travelling.
Mr Aaron Hammill, Deputy Head of Primary (Wellbeing)
Aaron joined the Freshwater team in 2021. He arrived with his family from Victoria, where he spent 20 years developing his craft in a variety of classroom teaching roles as well as a Specialist Physical Education and Music/Instrumental teacher.
Aaron was head of sport at his previous school and worked for School Sports Victoria as a District Coordinator. He was also a leader in developing and implementing a School Wide Positive Behaviour Support framework as well as leading Professional Learning Communities. He believes; ‘Connecting with students is the key to connecting students to learning.’
Mr David Anderson, Director of Wellbeing / Deputy Head of Secondary
David Anderson has served as a member of the Freshwater Christian College staff since 2006, and has thirty-eight years of experience in education. David is passionate about supporting young people in their learning, and has a particular interest in seeing the emotionally damaged restored to wholeness. David also has an interest in building resilience in young lives and is an advocate for the use of restorative practices in behaviour education. David and his wife, Anthea, love the outdoor lifestyle of tropical North Queensland and enjoy spending quality time with their four adult children.
Mrs Helen Schwarz, Director of Curriculum / Deputy Head of Secondary
Helen is a dedicated educator with a profound enthusiasm for curriculum development and Christian education. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education degree, she has honed her skills in teaching Senior English and Junior Humanities. Helen is a firm believer in nurturing inquiry-based learning, encouraging students to explore and develop their curiosity.
With a 25-year journey in Christian education, Helen has assumed various leadership roles, including leading English and Humanities Departments and stepping into the role of Director of Curriculum. Her unwavering commitment lies in delivering high-quality Christian education that equips students for their future.
Helen is a devoted wife and mother who enjoys family travel adventures and gardening.
Freshwater Church
Freshwater Church has over 80 years of history in Cairns, ministering to the people in our City and beyond. Our church has many areas of ministry and outreach in our local community and worldwide, including the College. If you are looking for a church to call home or a top-quality Christian education for your children, we hope your choice is Freshwater.
Senior Pastors Stewart & Jane Moncrieff
College Master Plan
In 2019 the College engaged our architects, TPG, to prepare a Master Plan for the future growth of the College. The College Master Plan provides an aspirational framework to guide campus development and new investment. This is a key objective of the College Strategic Plan and incorporates the development of a range of new and inspirational ‘21st Century’ learning spaces, together with substantial enhancements to the College’s existing facilities.
The Master Plan reflects the College Board’s commitment to the ongoing provision of high-quality learning environments with buildings and spaces that both inspire and empower our staff and students to grow and develop their God given gifts and talents in our beautiful tropical setting.
Begin Your Journey
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(07) 4243 3600
info@fcc.qld.edu.au
369-401 Brinsmead Road,
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