Newsletter

I’ve been thinking of late about the nature of relational teaching. Just last week I was walking to class and on the way had the joy of simply chatting to two of my students. The theme of our conversation was coffee. Now, I love a great cup of coffee… but I think my love of coffee was definitely overshadowed by their love of, or at least, commitment to… drinking coffee. We were laughing as we shared our coffee stories. Was the lesson I had prepared about coffee? No – it was about dystopian narratives and writing comparative essays. But teaching isn’t something we do in isolation. Teaching is not just a process, it’s about relationships. It’s about laughing together, crying together, caring about each other, cheering each other on, respecting each other, building trust and then in the context of a relationship, it’s about taking risks, trying out new ideas, learning from our mistakes and becoming more confident and more resilient as we develop skills, and insights and deepen our understanding. What an amazing calling it is to be a teacher. We are blessed when we have the opportunity to walk alongside our students and speak into their lives.

Praise Points:

• Every week day we have hundreds of students walk through our gates to be a part of the BCC community. It is an incredible privilege to be given the opportunity to speak into their lives and to help them flourish as they explore their God-given gifts and abilities
• The grounds of our College are looking beautiful and reflect not only the dedication and care that it takes to maintain them, but also the wonder of a Creator God who expresses Himself so magnificently through His creation.

Please Pray for: 

• Please lift up before God’s throne of grace members of our community who are experiencing challenging health issues
• Oska Johnson that he will continue to know God’s protection and healing power
• Members of our community who are grieving, that they might know God’s comfort and peace
• Continued prayer for work involved in the upcoming Primary Musical would be appreciated
• Sharon and the Board as they seek to discern God’s plan for the College
• Students, and their families, over the holiday break.

Around the grounds

Just some of the images around the grounds of the College. We are certainly blessed to be a part of a fantastic community. Praying you have a wonderful break with your family.

‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great IS your faithfulness.’ Lamentations 3:22-23

Secondary School Parent-Teacher Interviews

Years 7 to 10 Reports will be issued on Friday, 5th July. Following this the Secondary School Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday, 7th August from 3.30pm. Interview appointments can be made online only. During the second week of the holidays parents will receive an email from the College with a link to make appointment times with their child’s teachers. If you are unable to access via that link, or have not received an email, please check your spam and/or junk folders then contact our Secondary School Administrative Assistant, Kathy Evans, at the College on 4922 8312. If you cannot attend the interviews please contact your child’s teacher directly to make alternative arrangements. Appointments close 3pm Monday, 5th August and have a limit of two time slots per teacher.

We encourage you to attend the Parent-Teacher night so that you can speak to teachers about your child’s progress and ask questions about how you can help enable them to do their very best as we work in partnership to support students. Communication between the College and home is vital. We are looking forward to seeing you on the 7th August.

2019 Young Entrepreneurs Expo and Dinner

Our College is committed to growing and supporting the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. In support of this, we run an annual young entrepreneurs business expo via our Stage 6 Business Studies program for students in Year 11. From scratch, students are challenged to develop a business plan for a hypothetical business idea, with the prospect of making it into a commercially viable product or service at a later time. The students then present these ideas and concepts to a panel of local Hunter region business owners, known as ‘Sharks’, in recognition of the famous TV program Shark Tank. We are pleased to announce the 2019 winners below. A very special thanks to our ‘Sharks’ who gave up a day of their time to work alongside our students and encourage them in this project. None of this is possible without the ongoing support of local businesses who sponsor the expo and celebration dinner. Their support is both welcomed and appreciated as we continually strive in growing our students to be ‘Future Fit’. 

Kaila Ronan – Winner of Shark Tank Pitch – $300 prize for her business ‘SafeSpace’.
Christobelle Moran – Winner of People’s Choice Award – $200 prize for her business ‘Better Wrap’.

Thanks to our local Sponsors
Atune Health Centres
CJ Electrical & Solar
Divine Gemz Australia

Guardian Safety Solutions
Design Anthology
Hunter Futurepreneurs Program
Kitchens for Living
Marek Zozworek Massage Therapist
Pooches on Poplar
Redhead Family Dental
The University of Newcastle
WheelChangeU
Zarraffas Coffee
365 Site Services

Year 10 Science Super Session

Students from Year 10 Science were treated to a practical super session this week. Students completed a DNA extraction from strawberries and interacted with a liquid nitrogen presentation, helping to focus on key concepts from the Reproduction and Genetics topics. The formalities were completed with an instant ice cream production, strawberry, of course. 

Science Experiment Fest

Students from Year 12 Biology, Chemistry and Physics enjoyed the annual Science Experiment Fest at the University of Newcastle this week. They extracted and separated DNA using gel electrophoresis. We are blessed to have access to such an excellent facility.

College Office Holiday Hours
The Office will be closed over the school holiday break and will reopen on Thursday 25th July. For urgent enquires please email college@bcc.nsw.edu.au. 

Student Absence Advice
New government Attendance Register requirements means that the College must receive explanations of absences within 7 days of the absence for an absence to be included as an ‘explained absence’ on student attendance records. We would value your assistance in this matter to keep your child’s record up to date by providing a written explanation within 7 days. We are not able to make any changes to the record after the 7 days. Absences can be advised via written note or email to either your child’s Classroom/Roll Teacher, Primary/Secondary Administration Assistants or by completing the Absence eform on the Skoolbag App.

School Photos
School photos will be held at the College in Week 3 next term. By now you should have received an envelope with how to order and pay for the photos. If you have not received the envelope please ask your child to collect their envelope from the College Office. Please return the completed envelope to the photographer on the day or to the Office earlier, if you wish.  

Lost Property
We have quite a collection of unmarked lost property. Could you please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your child’s name. Lost property is located in the Office and Primary School hallway. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to come and look for their child’s lost property, after first signing in at the Office.

From 30th June there will be improvements to Newcastle Transport timetables. Some school timetables have also been updated at certain bus stops to better reflect congestion and travel times to get students to and from school in the Newcastle Transport area. School students who use Newcastle Transport dedicated school services or regular routes will need to check their timetables to and from school prior to the changes commencing 1st July (Term 2, Week 10). Please click here to check your timetable.

Futsal Gala Day 

Secondary boys and girls from BCC participated in the annual CSSA Futsal Gala Day competition last week. The boys played well with high energy and great intensity. They displayed great teamwork and admirable sportsmanship. Congratulations goes to the Junior boy’s teams for making the grand finals in both pools.

The Junior girls showed great skills and determination in the A division, and lost a closely contested grand-final. In the Senior girls division the B team won the grand-final. Congratulations to all the girls who represented the College. 

Primary Soccer Gala Day

On Wednesday 19th June our Junior and Senior Primary Soccer teams had an early start, leaving the College at 5:20am to travel to a chilly Tamworth for the Zone Metro Cup Gala Day.

The Juniors played very well all day, with some big wins and scoring lots of goals. They made it through to the semis and went down 1 nil. Thanks to Mr Melcum and one of our Dad’s, Mr Dave Keast, who did a great job looking after these young energetic boys throughout the day.

The Senior Soccer team played well all day, and made it to the final, which resulted in a nil all draw at full-time, before the team went down 4:2 in penalties. The final itself was an emotional roller coaster ride.

We are very proud of the amazing effort and passion that they maintained throughout the day and into the final.

By making the Top 4, both teams have qualified for the CSSA Football finals next term.

Thanks also to the mums and dads that also made the long trip up to Tamworth. Your help was greatly appreciated.

Primary Netball Metro Cup Gala Day 

On Wednesday, 19th June our Junior and Senior Primary Netball Teams participated in the Metro Cup Gala Day at Tamworth Sports Dome.

The Senior team had a very successful day, winning their round games comfortably. In the Finals the Senior team played Maitland. Close to exhaustion, the girls had to dig deep and in a tight game they came away with the win 18-14. 

Thanks to one of our Mum’s, Mrs Christy Blowes, for coaching our Senior team to victory on the day.

The Junior team also had a competitive day. They were placed second in their pool with two wins and one loss. The semi-final proved to be a tough encounter against a skilled Green Point team, who defeated us, and went on to win the event.

Our Senior team now qualify for the final competition held in Penrith next term. 

Congratulations to all players. Their determination and effort was highly commendable.

Primary School Musical Rehearsals are in full swing
 Rehearsals are bigger than ever in preparation for Seussical Jnr! There are hives of activity all over the place and the vibe is awesome!

Staff Professional Development

BCC hosted a regional Professional Development Day for Music and Choir teachers throughout the Central Coast and Hunter Region last Friday 21st June. Our Stage 3 Choir were involved in the opening session under the masterful direction of Aleta King, Director of Music at Avondale College. The day was the first step toward a combined choir initiative in 2020 with our network of schools, Christian Schools Australia.