Newsletter

COVID-19 Update

Please continue to visit the COVID-19 page found on our College website. On this page you will find the most recent COVID related announcements from our Leadership team. Please note that parents and caregivers will continue to receive all official communication via Skoolbag and email.

I remember where I was when the news about Princess Diana came through, I was watching the news live when the second plane hit the twin towers – (just having finished watching The West Wing – so surreal)…and those two moments in recent history  are reference points for me – and for so many others. 

And now our current unprecedented experience is one we have all shared in – as a global community – and the lives of everyone have been impacted in some way or another. Shared memories are one way that relationships can form and we can move from being acquaintances to being friends…I wonder what shape of things God will draw out of this time…..
It would be wonderful to have an art work made up of the love and care being shown….the extraordinary acts of bravery, the sacrificial service, the generosity towards strangers, the connectedness in families…What a stunning canvas that would be!

Bronwyn Rappeneker
Head of Student Services and Wellbeing

Praise Points

~ Time to celebrate – Taylor and Emily Stafford welcomed their first born – Yolanda Jane Stafford – into the world last week. The photos are ‘melt your heart’ material! Yay for the joy our children bring to us!

Prayer Points

~ Our precious, incredible parents who are doing the most amazing job in helping to facilitate remote learning for their children
~ Our wonderful teachers as they continue to work through the challenges of remote learning and help ensure that their students are tracking well
~ For our College Leadership Team – the Executive and the Coordinators across Primary and Secondary – as decisions are made about the transition back to school and as they watch out for the staff and the students under their care
~ For our Year 12 HSC students – that they will know His peace – His comfort and the security of knowing that their futures are not determined by circumstances – but by a loving, faithful God
~ For families who may be struggling with finances, ill health, emotional pressures – that they will experience the ministry of God’s holy spirit , bringing calm and renewed hope and healing

We are blessed to know that the ministry of the College is underpinned by the faithful prayers of our ‘extended family’.

Prayer Requests

In deeply challenging times such as these, we find our rest in the unchanging nature and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father.

As a Christian community we understand the significance and purpose of prayer. It is the heart-beat of our College. Together we boldly pray to our Father, through the work of His Son, in the power of the Spirit.

If you have a prayer request please complete the form here. We would love to pray for you specifically, and for your family, during this time of change.

‘We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express’ Romans 8:26b

Praying Parents

Parents are invited to join our prayer group on Mondays at 8:15am and Fridays at 2:15pm. Due to the COVID-19 crisis we now meet online, rather than at the College. For more information please contact Ang Proctor mailit2us@gmail.com or phone 0409 288 000. Everyone is welcome to join in.

Dear Primary Parents and Caregivers,

The following information is designed to provide further detail to our Principal and Assistant Principal’s messages from earlier this week.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your cooperation, support and encouragement as we have navigated through these days of remote learning, and now into the transition to the reintroduction of classes on-site for the remainder of this term. Your ongoing involvement, care and feedback is always appreciated and welcomed, and for this, we are most grateful. To re-iterate Steve Tidey’s observation, God has certainly enabled a rediscovery of our ability to adapt and create new ways of teaching and learning in ways that we may never have experienced had the chaos of the past months not occurred. In all of this, however, I believe that we are doing well.

To ensure the best student outcomes, we know that face-to-face contact between students and teachers is vital. Each of our BCC students are loved, valued and cared for, and we want them to be able to engage with their teachers on-site as soon as safely possible.

Our plan is for Primary School students to re-establish regular contact in class and Stage groups with their teachers at school through a phased return to onsite learning from next week, Monday 11 May (Week 3).

Over the coming weeks, student attendance will increase from a class/Stage group onsite ONE day a week (Weeks 3 & 4), two groups here TWO days a week (Weeks 5 & 6), and then, as health advice shows improved outcomes, the College intends to transition to full attendance for the final four weeks of term (Wks 7-10), with students following their normal school timetable. Please also be advised that there will be provision for students of essential workers and those who are unable to be supervised at home as there has been in Weeks 1 and 2. Please note: Winter Uniform is expected, with Winter Sports uniform worn on rostered days for your child’s class.

Further to this, we will continue with recommended hygiene and advised control measures in place. Of course, students with increased health risks may keep learning from home. The details regarding this phased approach is in the table below and an overview is available using this link https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/covid-19/back-to-school

I would ask parents to be aware that this plan is subject to change due to government directives, health advice and local circumstances.

Finally, for Drop Off and Pick Up upon return to school, we ask that in reference to the Principal’s request, Primary parents adhere to the following more specific guidelines:

Beginners:
Drop Off:
Parents to walk their child to the gate outside Beginners (carpark side) and wait at the gate for Miss G. Parents are asked to not enter through the gate. From there, Miss G will escort children to Beginners as they arrive.
Pick Up:
Pick Up time, parents are to collect their child promptly outside the gate (carpark side). Miss G and Mrs. McNamara will be waiting with children with their belongings. Parents are asked to not enter through the gate, and remain at a safe distance from other parents.

If parents have older children attending school on the same day as a Beginners child, they are to collect their Beginners child ‘first’ and then drive over to the Pick Up zone for Primary students. Older siblings should not be sent to Beginners to collect their younger siblings.

Kindergarten:
Drop Off:
All parents are asked to remain in their vehicles at all times. Student Leaders or College staff members will be on hand from 8.20am, to assist young children from cars and to guide them to their classrooms as needed. If a Kindergarten child has an older sibling, they may escort their brother or sister to the classroom. For reluctant Kindergarten students without an older sibling refusing to walk with a leader or College staff member, leaders will seek the classroom teacher/call for assistance.
Pick Up:
Parents of Kindergarten students whose children are not going to OSHC or catching buses, are asked to pick up their child at 2.40pm from the Pick Up area. Parents are asked NOT to get out of the car. A College staff member will escort each child to their parent’s car.

Stages 1-3:
Drop Off:
All parents are asked to remain in their vehicles at all times. Student Leaders or College staff members will be on hand from 8.20am, to assist young children from cars and to guide them to their classrooms as needed. If a child has an older sibling, they may escort their brother or sister to the classroom.
Pick Up:
Parents of Stage 1 to Stage 3 students whose children are not going to OOSH or catching buses, are asked to pick up their child at 2.50pm from the Pick-Up area. If a child has an older sibling, they may collect their younger brother or sister from classrooms, and escort their brother or sister to the Pick Up area. Parents are asked NOT to get out of the car. College staff will direct children to their parent’s car.

We all look forward to welcoming our students back over the course of the next few weeks as they transition to more face-to-face teaching.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, or would simply like to touch base.

Kind regards

Mrs Leoni McNeill
Head of Primary School

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we transition from the remote learning model to reintroduction of classes on-site for the remainder of this term, I pray we can do so with a deep sense of gratitude and reverence at the way God has enabled a rediscovery of our ability to adapt and create new ways of teaching and learning that we may never have attempted had the chaos of the past few months not occurred.

To ensure the best student outcomes, we know face-to-face contact between students and teachers is vital. Our BCC students are valued and cared for, and we want them to be able to engage with their teachers on-site as soon as safely possible.

Our plan is for Secondary School students to re-establish regular contact in year groups with their teachers at school through a staged return to onsite learning from next week, Monday 11 May (Week 3). Over the coming weeks, student attendance will increase from a year group onsite ONE day a week (Weeks 3 & 4), two groups here TWO days a week (Weeks 5 & 6), and then, as health advice shows improved outcomes, the College intends to transition to full attendance for the final four weeks of term (Wks 7-10), with students following their normal school timetable. Please note: Winter Uniform is expected on the days when Sport Uniform isn’t required.

All of this, we must remember, will continue with recommended hygiene and advised control measures in place. Of course, students with increased health risks may keep learning from home. Year 12 is a priority for us in the return to school model, so they will be attending most of their timetabled classes starting from Weeks 3 & 4 along with ONE other Secondary School Year group and ONE other Primary School Stage per day.

The details regarding this phased approach is in the table below and an overview is available using this link https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/covid-19/back-to-school

I would ask you to be aware that this plan is subject to change due to government directives, health advice and local circumstances.

I look forward to welcoming students back over the course of the next few weeks as they transition to more face-to-face teaching and the all-important pastoral care programs that are offered at the College.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Kind regards

Steve Tidey
Assistant Principal/Head of Secondary School

The College website continues to grow and evolve as a fantastic resource for parents and students. Make sure you take a look at our Community Hub, Remote Learning Page and Back-to-School Plans. Why not share the weblink with friends and family and give them a look inside the BCC Community. 

Entertainment Book for Mothers Day

Entertainment Memberships are now 100% digital. Saying goodbye to the iconic Book wasn’t easy but the new Entertainment Memberships start anytime and are valid for 12 months from activation. Packed with thousands of substantial savings to delight and inspire, an Entertainment Membership is your pass to exclusive offers and quality experiences, activities and benefits. The digital membership is easy to download to start using instantly. New offers are added weekly for ongoing value all year round.

Benefits of the App include:

• User-friendly: Instantly search and redeem offers or check out the Near Me tab to find offers, wherever you are.
• Memberships start anytime: Flexible start date, Memberships are valid for 12 months from when you activate (16 months if you take advantage of the Early Bird offer now).
• New offers automatically added: As soon as a new offer is available, you get access to it. No more waiting for the next print run!
• Multiple devices: You can still share your Membership with your family. Encourage your partner and kids to download the App so they can access valuable savings when out.
• Convenient: The App means that as long as you have your phone, you have your Membership too (no more lugging around the book).
• Easy gifting: We’ve made it simpler than ever to gift an Entertainment Membership – simply purchase from your chosen fundraiser and the gift Membership will be delivered instantly to your inbox.

For the first time ever you can choose from 3 NEW digital Memberships.

BCC Library Remote Borrowing Available Now!

Due to the majority of our students currently remote learning, the BCC Library is now offering a Pick-&-Collect service for students and families who would like to borrow books from our Library collection.

Library Staff will pack your selection into a book bag and notify families via email when they are ready for collection. They can be picked up from the student reception (back entrance) at the College between 8:30am and 3:00pm, Monday to Friday, during Term time.

Returned books can also be left in the labelled box at student reception. You will be able to borrow up to SIX (6) books at a time.

To borrow, simply click below to complete an online form and we will contact you via email when they are ready to collect from student reception!

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Library Staff at library@bcc.nsw.edu.au

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

Free ebooks through Work Book online

Click below to access BCC’s subscription to World Book online. World Book student encyclopaedia enables students to listen to text being read. They have also added free access to some of their other products. Enjoy!

NSW CIS Sports Awards

Congratulations to Joshua Bruton of Year 12 and Victoria Robinson of Year 7 for receiving CIS NSW Outstanding Sporting Achievement Awards. These awards were awarded for their achievements representing NSW CIS in 2019. Congratulations Joshua and Victoria.

Winter Uniform required for Term 2

Reminder to parents that Term 2 students are required to wear their full WINTER uniform when they return during week 3, unless they are scheduled to attend school on their usual sport uniform timetabled day. There will NOT be a 2 week change over period.

Visit our website here for Uniform photos, FAQ and further information.

A note from our Heads of School, Mr Steve Tidey and Mrs Leoni McNeill

Following the most recent announcements by Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell, Belmont Christian College, along with other NSW school students will be back in the classroom full-time from next Monday, 25th May.

Please be assured that we will maintain the measures and precautions that have been put in place for the foreseeable future. Please note:

● The last two weeks of having students on site in year groups have been a strong indication of how we can best support students to practice good hygiene and implement new routines at school, and we pray it has given our College community the confidence that full-time face-to-face teaching can resume

● The College will be maintaining correct observance of the recommended health advice, and we look forward to seeing all students back onsite five days a week.

Our health routines include:
o Increased and regular cleaning of classrooms, railings, door handles and other often touched surfaces and toilet facilities
o Access to hygiene supplies and sanitisers
o Compliance with hygiene practices (eg distancing, etc…)
o Staggered recess and lunch break times
o Playground area zones for year groups
o Staggered pick-up times and pick-up zones
o No assemblies and no excursions until further notice
o Students may bring their own clearly labelled toys or play items from home, eg. handballs
o Primary playground equipment will be in use, cleaned daily

As our students return to full face-to-face schooling, their teachers will work with the College’s Student Services team to identify where students are at in their coursework and will be supporting them in their return. Students are returning to Week 5 of the term, so for Secondary School students that means they are in a Week B of their normal timetable and should be prepared for lessons accordingly. As well, please be reminded that all students should be wearing their full Winter uniform when not required to be in Sport uniform.

It is critical that any student who feels unwell does not attend school. This is of vital importance if they have cold or flu-like symptoms. Parents/caregivers are asked to continue to follow health advice: keeping your children at home if they are unwell. Similarly, parents/caregivers of children with complex medical needs are encouraged to seek medical advice from their health care professional to make an informed decision about a return to school.

The greatest risk of transmission in the school environment is between adults. It is of utmost importance
that teachers and parents/caregivers alike maintain physical distancing between themselves and each other at school.

Bus transport advice has not changed to date, that is, Newcastle Buses, which operates our school transport will be running (as it has been) to normal schedules. They continue to assure us their hygiene, safety and cleaning regimes are in place.

Whilst their website indicates public transport for NSW continues to support physical distancing where
possible, this does “… not apply dedicated school services, as no school student will be turned away.”
However, “… parents and caregivers should not send children on public transport if they are displaying any symptoms of being unwell.” Their website also suggests travellers download the COVIDSafe app. The voluntary app helps protect commuters by using technology to quickly identify if they’ve been in close contact with someone with Coronavirus.

Canteen operations will start later this term. We will advise when you are able to order again from the canteen.

NOTE: BCC Beginners will continue with their most recent drop-off and pick-up procedures. The following instructions are for Primary School and Secondary School families:

Morning Drop-Off
● Parents/caregivers to drop their child/children to school at the normal time of between 8:20am and 8:30am, ready for an 8:40am start
● When entering the College TURN LEFT for the drop-off area
● Parents/caregivers should drive to the end white line in the Pick-Up zone, or stop safely behind the car in front
● Parents/caregivers are asked to stay in cars while children get out of cars
● Younger students will be assisted by older students or staff, as required
● Students should walk to the playground or classroom straight from the drop-off area

Afternoon Pick-Up
● Cars coming into the College for pickup may only enter from 2:40pm
● Primary pickup will be at the normal location and will commence at the earlier time of 2:40pm and run for 20 minutes
● Parents are asked to stay in cars while waiting for children
● Secondary School siblings of Primary students will be released early for pickup with Primary
● When entering the College TURN LEFT for the Primary and Secondary siblings pickup pick-up area
● Parents/caregivers should drive to the end white line in the Pick-Up zone, or stop safely behind the car in front
● Parents and teachers on duty to remind students to ‘look out’ for their family car so that the process runs smoothly
● Parents who pick up their child in the afternoon should display their family name from their car so that it is clearly visible. The remainder of these signs should be made available throughout next week
● Other Secondary School student pick-up will commence at 2.50pm. When entering the College to collect only Secondary School students, please PROCEED STRAIGHT AHEAD to the Secondary pick-up zone for Secondary students at the current College bus parking zone. Parents/caregivers please stay in cars while waiting for children
● If traffic is backed up, parents/caregivers are asked to park in the overflow carpark and wait

We want to thank you, our College community – teachers, staff, parents and caregivers for your patience and perseverance during a most difficult period. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. If at all possible, over the next few weeks, could we ask you to minimise coming into the College Office, rather conduct any communication you need to have using either email or phone contact. Please continue to thank God for enabling our community to get through to this moment, and in the transition, despite the occasional discouragement we never stand alone, but have learned more about resting in His love and safe keeping.