Newsletter

I recently watched a movie called Unbroken, which highlighted the life and more particularly the survival of an American soldier, Louis Zamperini, during the Second World War.  He was an Olympian and later a soldier and prisoner of war. His resilience is inspiring and he survives the atrocities of the prison camp, and returns home after the war.

In true Hollywood fashion, after all the tragedy, the hero survives and they all live happily ever after….

However, this is not entirely accurate, as Louis is plagued with post-traumatic-stress disorder after his emancipation from a Japanese POW camp and is consumed by the terrors of his past. Unable to escape from these terrors, he lives a destructive life, almost losing everything.

Louis’ most prominent spiritual experience comes at a Billy Graham crusade, where he has a powerful encounter with God and so he begins to read his Bible.

As compelling as the first part of Louis Zamperini’s story is, it’s the second part that’s the greatest miracle, and truly redemptive. Only through Christ is such redemption and healing possible.

Although our current lives are a far cry from that of Louis, we also face terrors, pain, destruction, disease, loneliness, betrayal, uncertainties and many more sufferings which emphasises our weaknesses.

We find it hard to admit that we are weak. We want to have it all figured out. We want to present ourselves as being strong and having it all together. However, God’s Word promises that our weaknesses reveal His strengths as He works in and through us, and that we will be made strong through His power. (Corinthians 12:1-10.)

Praise Points

~ Last week we had School Photo Day. To be honest – with all the things that have changed/stopped it was such a joy to see our students beautifully presented, excited and ready to gather together to have captured for them a moment along the timeline of their school days. We wonder what conversations will be held in the future when the 2020 school photos are revisited. Praise God for communal moments. 

~ Our College Community, and our local and extended community during this continuing unsettling ‘COVID’ time.

~ Year 12 as they prepare to receive feedback and their marks from their HSC Trial Exams this week. Thank you to those who were able to cover them in prayer throughout the exams.

~ Year 12 as we consider ways to help them celebrate their final weeks at school with us. What a time of unprecedented change it has been, and of all years, Year 12 may well have felt it the most. Please continue to cover them in prayer as they move towards the end of their formal time with us at BCC.

~ Mrs Janine Ferreira, who is on leave. Having asked Janine if we could pray for her specifically, she was very grateful…and sent through this information…’I’m on the waiting list for a hip replacement and struggling with joint movement as a result of a fall which made it all worse. Starting therapy this week.’ Janine would very much appreciate our prayer.

~ The many interviews that Ms Sopher is having with potential new families. Please pray that as these families consider what BCC has to offer for their children, that they will know God’s leading and that our community will be strengthened through ever-widening opportunities to partner with families.

~ Students who are going through challenging times and for students who have family members who are unwell and undergoing treatment. There is much that some of our students and their families face on a day to day basis. Praise God that we can partner with them and lift them before His throne of grace.

Thank you for praying for our College Community. As Mike Wells says…’There’s nothing the nearness of Jesus cannot heal’.

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, meeting at the flag pole after signing in at the College office. For more information please contact Ang Proctor mailit2us@gmail.com or phone 0409 288 000. Everyone is welcome to join in.

At the moment we are covering the Year 12 students in prayer as they prepare for the HSC and their final months at BCC. COVID-19 has added an extra layer of complexity to their year, but we know that our God is faithful and He has a plan for each of them. We are praying for their studies, but also that they grow in revelation of God’s faithfulness and understanding that when we are weak, He is strong.

If you would like to volunteer to commit to covering two Year 12 students in prayer from now until the end of HSC exams (mid Nov), please email wendy@wendyrobinson.com.au.

Here are some suggestions for what ‘covering the two Year 12 students in prayer’ looks like:
(a) When praying for your own children, include a prayer for these two young people.
(b) Every time you drive into the school grounds, ask for God’s blessing and favour on them (can be prayed in your mind, doesn’t have to be prayed aloud).
(c) Every time you wash your hands, ask for God to give them a sound mind, the mind of Christ, and strength to do each day well.
(d) Ask God to give you a specific scripture to pray for them.
(e) Ask God what He wants you to pray for them.

BCC Beginners 2021 Orientation Schedule

The dates for our BCC Beginners Orientation 2021 schedule are as follows:

Wednesday, 14th October – 5:00pm to 6:00pm – Information Evening (Virtual + Zoom)
Tuesday, 17th November – 9:30am to 11:00am – Orientation Morning #1 (Kiss n drop)
Friday, 20th November – 9:30am to 11:00am – Orientation Morning #2 (Kiss n drop) 

Further information and support material will be shared throughout Term 3 in the lead-up to these events.

Kindergarten 2021 Orientation Schedule

The dates for our Kindergarten Orientation 2021 schedule are as follows:

Wednesday, 14th October – 6:00pm to 7:00pm – Information Evening (Virtual + Zoom)
Thursday, 22nd October – 9:00am to 10:30am – Orientation Morning #1 (Kiss n drop)
Monday, 2nd November – 9:00am to 10:30am – Orientation Morning #2 (Kiss n drop) 
Tuesday, 17th November – 9:00am to 10:30am – Orientation Morning #3 (Kiss n drop)   

Further information and support material will be shared throughout Term 3 in the lead-up to these events.

Entertainment Book Available Now

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 purchases between 14 August and 13 September, our College will receive an additional $10 for Single City Membership or $20 for every Multi City and Multi Plus Membership sold!

Alumni Sporting Success

We are proud of our students past and present and we’d like to highlight the success of some of our Alumni students in the sporting arena.

Focusing on men in football, or soccer for those who often get the name mixed up with other dominant codes in Australia, two of our Alumni have gone on to forge successful careers in football playing for our local A-League/W-League teams or playing for Australia!

Nic Hartnett attended the College Years 8 to 12, 2009 to 2013 he also went on to represent Australia in football. Nic played for Newcastle Jets Youth Team in the National Youth League from 2009 to 2013, he trained with the first grade squad and almost cracked it for starting Goalkeeper. He played in the Australian Under 19s Schoolboys Team as first choice goalkeeper touring South America in 2013. 

Brad Waters attended the College from 1999 to 2004. Brad extensively represented the Jets and played Futsal for Australia. While at the College Brad was selected to play in the Youth Breakers (predecessor to the Jets) Teams from 1999-2000, he then played in the Youth Teams with Newcastle United (again predecessor to the Jets) from 2001-2002, in 2003 he was part of the Under 17s Newcastle United Team and  was selected to train with the first grade team.  Brad was on the verge of starting in first grade when Football Australia change the NSL to the A-League and unfortunately the new owners and coach of the Jets went for more experience. During this time Brad represented Australia in the Under 17s Australian Futsal Team and toured Brazil. After moving on from the Jets, Brad trained with Sydney FC and North Queensland unfortunately due to serious injury his career was cut short, but noteworthy none the less.

2020 Presentation Night Update

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

As per previous correspondence, together with the College Executive team, I have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Presentation Night, which would normally be held in the final week of Term 4. 

Based on expert advice from both the State and Federal government, combined with Christian Schools Australia (CSA), we have prayerfully made this decision.

The current advice regarding large gatherings cannot be ignored, and as a Christian College, our desire is to always submit and adhere to the authorities that govern our land.

With this in mind, the decision to press the ‘pause button’ in 2020 provides us with an excellent opportunity to consider the current format of the BCC Presentation Night.

To that end, I ask that you take a couple of minutes to complete the following online survey regarding Presentation Night. This survey will be available throughout the month of August. 

Your response to this short survey will help develop the main focus areas for a team of staff, parent and student representatives to consider the way in which we celebrate achievement and results from 2021 onwards.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding in this turbulent season, as we continue to be a community that trains and nurtures young people to ‘grow up into Christ’.

Ms Sharon Sopher
Principal

Personal College Tours

Following all the appropriate COVID measures, personal College tours are still running throughout this season. Do you have friends or family who would benefit from taking a closer look at BCC in the lead up to 2021? If yes, we encourage you to point them towards our College website and book a personal tour today. Click here. 

Virtual College Tours

Do you have friends and family who cannot make it onsite to check out the College on a personal face-to-face tour? Maybe you know of folk who are considering a relocation to the Hunter region? Why not encourage them to join our College Registrar, Ms Teena Knott, on a Virtual College Tour. For more details and to book a face-to-face or virtual tour, click here

Virtual Showcase

Our HSC Year 12 students in Drama, Design and Technology, Industrial Technology, Music 1 and Visual Arts have typically presented their major works in our annual Showcase event in Term 3. COVID restrictions have prevented our College (and NSW) the ability to do this onsite this year. We are excited to announce that this years Showcase exhibition will be available to our College community ONLINE in the next few weeks. We look forward to displaying the hard work and commitment of our Year 12 creatives and designers.

Year 10 Photography

Our Year 10 Photographic and Digital Media class have been exploring multi-layer photography using Adobe Photoshop – an industry standard photographic manipulation program. The students have done an amazing job to use a very complex program to manipulate these images to tell a story. Mrs MacPherson has proudly exhibited the works in our College front office, so if you have not had a chance to visit recently, take a look at these images below.

Music Tutors

We have a variety of Music Tutors available at the College during College hours. We are pleased to have a new Vocal Tutor available now too. Further information can be found here Music Tutor contacts .

Code Camp – Online these school holidays

If you have any queries about the College uniform, make sure you visit our dedicated Uniform page on the College website. Alternatively, get in touch with our uniform partner, Alinta Apparel.

Sign in at the Uniform Shop

You are now able to sign in at the Uniform Shop. Using your mobile phone you are able to scan a QR code for quick sign in. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping inline with Covid-19 Government regulations.

Full uniform fitting appointments

All new students, starting in 2021 are required to book an appointment for a fitting which will be held during the October Term 3 Holidays. Please book your appointment online by 28th September to secure your fitting. The booking site will be available online from 30th of August.

In January 2021, we will be open for order collection (for lay-by collection, exchanges and late enrolments). January shop hours can be found online by logging into the customer portal.

2021 Tuition Fees Calculator

As previous advised there will be no increase to our fees for 2021. The fee schedule used for 2020 will remain the same for next year. We pray that this decision will bless our families who have all faced the challenges and uncertainty of this year. 

To assist with budgeting for 2021 we have a fee calculator available on our College website https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/fees/ 

Keep Informed at the College

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. Why not share the weblink with friends and family and give them a look inside the BCC Community. 

BCC also communicates home to parent/caregiver’s via the Skoolbag App. Skoolbag provides an easy and convenient means of communication of essential information including the College Newsletters, notices and alerts which are communicated directly to parents and caregivers through the Skoolbag Mobile App on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. We encourage parents to download the Skoolbag App and check-in to the App on a regular basis for any announcements to keep you informed.

R U OK?

R U OK? Day is Thursday, 10th September 2020. It’s our national day of action when we remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” if someone in your world is struggling with life’s ups and downs.

The message for R U OK? Day 2020 is: ‘THERE’S MORE TO SAY AFTER R U OK?’

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and circumstances have made it even more important for us all to stay connected and, for those who are able, be willing to support those around us. In the lead-up to R U OK? Day we’ll help Australians know what to say when someone says they’re not OK and guide them through how they can continue a conversation that could change a life.

You don’t have to be an expert to keep the conversation going when someone says they’re not OK. By knowing what to say you can help someone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they’re in crisis, which can make a really positive difference to their life.

To recognise the power of casually checking in with your friends on R U OK? Day, we are encouraging Secondary students and staff to dress casually on Thursday, 10th September. No donation is required.