Newsletter

Belmont Christian College is an exciting place to be! As I wander around the grounds there is a lovely air of anticipation and enthusiasm as the students are happy to be back and eagerly telling their holiday stories. We have new teachers and a record number of new students and families starting at the College and I gladly welcome them into our community. I pray that this marks the beginning of an exciting partnership filled with joy and blessing.

Our maintenance and cleaning team have been working hard to have the property and grounds ready for our students to enjoy. Many exciting upgrades have been taking place over the Christmas break, including brand new bathrooms for all students. The new bathrooms are a response to staff, parent and student surveys that were conducted during the compilation of the College’s Masterplan. Both Mr Bill Truscott, our Business Manager and I were very excited to have this project completed and ready for the students as this was a priority area for all stakeholders.

I hold much anticipation for the Secondary School Musical, “Peter Pan” as well as consolidating our CONNECT program and SLIP (School Learning Improvement Plan.) There are so many wonderful opportunities planned for our students and as we journey with you in 2021, I hope that we can work with you as parents in ways that are characterised by humility and encouragement.

It is my privilege to welcome the following new staff members:

1. Mrs Neale – Primary Teacher
2. Mrs Johnston – will continue permanently as a Primary Teacher
3. Mr Neale – Secondary Music Teacher
4. Mr Donaldson – Secondary Mathematics Teacher
5. Mr Hannam – will continue permanently as a Secondary Mathematics Teacher
6. Mrs Donaldson – Secondary English and History Teacher
7. Mrs Thomas – Secondary Science Teacher
8. Mrs Moulds – will continue permanently as a Counsellor
9. Mrs Bell – Administration and Executive Assistant

The above staff are both highly qualified and experienced and I thank God for His provision. As we welcome new staff, I must also thank and farewell Mr Mosely for his 13 years of service at the College. May God continue to bless the work of his hands.

You can find out more about our amazing new staff on our ‘Our People‘ page on our website.

Over the holiday break, I spent time studying the book of Hebrews, which is a book found in the New Testament of the Bible. I was reminded as I read in Hebrews 12, “to run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.” I don’t think any of us were prepared for the “race’ that was marked for us last year as we do not select the course, it is God who establishes our paths. However, I encourage you, that as we run, and I do hope we encounter far less trials and hurdles this year, that we might “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Our God perfectly finished His race and we are to be encouraged that He is already at the finish line.

Looking forward.

We love that you are a part of the extended BCC family. What a joy it is to know that we are connected, as followers of Christ, and through our commitment to seeing young people loved, nurtured and taught in ways that honour Him. Thank you for praying for our community. Sharing together in prayer is one of the strongest bonds we can form.

Each fortnight, in this space you will be invited to pray for our community – sometimes we will ask for prayer for upcoming events – sometimes for the needs of students and families – sometimes for the leaders and the people of our nation… It is as we join together in prayer that we will know His leading – His purposes and it is through praying for each other that we will walk in His will.

Could I encourage you to see prayer for the BCC family as integral to your daily family prayer with your children. How wonderful will it be when we can reflect on God’s goodness in answered prayer – and how good will it be when we can learn to walk together, in faith, when our answers to prayer are long in coming – together we will learn to trust Him.

Prayer Points

As we step into this new year – glancing back at 2020 and reflecting on what we learned through that season – we look ahead and remember that while we don’t know what is to come – our trustworthy God does and we can lean into the truth that ‘His Promises are as true in the dark as they are in the light.’ He will be… ‘The lamp unto our feet…’
Prayer over 2021 – a year of growth – for our community – in our personal lives, our spiritual walk and in our expression of His love in and through our lives. And for a flourishing for our students in their endeavours…to His Glory

~ Mrs Vicki Quick came through surgery last month and had a good report. She speaks of the faithfulness of her loving Heavenly father through the journey. Please continue to uphold Vicki through her recovery time.

~ Please pray for our students – for those facing personal and medical challenges – that they will know the mercy and blessing of God.

~ Please pray for our parents who are going through troubling times – challenges with their health and some with finances.

Praise Points

~ We have many, many new students! That is answered prayer. New students….new families to minister to…and new staff on team : )

~ Mrs Janine Ferreira is back with us! Oh how good it is to hear her testimony of God’s provision for her during a challenging season. We are so pleased that the surgery went well and that her recovery is well underway!

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 Wendy Robinson wendy@wendyrobinson.com.au or phone 0409987939. Everyone is welcome to join in.

Keep Informed with the BCC Website

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 parents and caregivers 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.

Tuition Fees Calculator

As previously advised there will be no increase to our fees for 2021.

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

2021 Term Dates

The 2021 term dates are now available on our website https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/term-dates/

College Tours

Do you have friends and family who may like to check out the College on a 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 personal or virtual College tour. Or perhaps join our next group tour coming up on Tuesday, 1st June at 9am. For more details and to book a tour, click here

Parents Directory

Our website now hosts a Parents Directory. The Parents Directory is an up-to-date online directory summarising all of our key communication channels and links need-to-know information between the College and families. Communication between your family and the College forms a crucial part of the education journey. Click here to view the page and keep informed https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/parents/

Peter Pan Musical Rehearsal

On Monday, our Secondary Musical cast of Peter Pan 2021 began rehearsals with 35 students joining the show. It’s going to be an amazing experience and there is still time to enrol and be a part of it all. Any students wanting to join the cast or band can do so before enrolment closes in Week 4. Parents can enrol their child here.

Save The Date

The Peter Pan production will be held on the following dates:
Thursday, 17th June
Friday, 18th June
Saturday, 19th June

Music Tuition

Our wonderful Music tutor team have begun lessons again this week. Make this year the one that your child begins the enriching journey of learning to play music!

Of particular note is that we have enlisted a new drum and percussion tutor to our team. David Tracey is an exceptional musician, playing both drums in all styles and mallet percussion (marimba, xylophones etc). Can I encourage all those budding drums to look at in-school lessons with this fantastic teacher.

FOR MUSIC TUTOR CONTACT DETAILS, head to our website here.

Music Ensembles

Music Ensembles resume next week (Week 3) on their designated day. Please ensure your child is enrolled in the chosen ensemble before rehearsals commence.

Primary Music Ensembles Enrolment

Secondary Music Ensembles Enrolment

Our timetable for Music Ensembles are as follows, however, more information and enrolment can be found in the links below.

For information and enrolment for all our Creative Arts and Music Ensembles, please follow the relevant links below.

Primary Ensembles: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CR8GlQuTLUoa0e4tMANf4_74aZGxE432/view?usp=sharing

Secondary Ensembles:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CIbVLND1KolMQNti4jK_viIPJpgEXTQH/view?usp=sharing  

Also find our Music Tutor contacts and our Instrument Hire Form along with some Hot tips.

Supplies needed

Our Visual Arts and TAS classes would be happy to accept any unwanted supplies of ice cream and large yogurt containers, old towels, sheets and coffee cups. Please drop donations into the College office.

Pick up/Drop off Zones

Thank you for your ongoing patience during drop-off and pick-up time. Please take note of our current drop-off and pick-up arrangements.  

~ We have two Pick up and Drop off zones:
1. Primary School students (and their Secondary siblings) – located out the from of the Admin building
2. Secondary School students – located near the BCC buses in the Oval side carpark (a sign reminding drivers will be on display from next week)

In the pick up/drop off line, if necessary, parents may assist their child getting in/out of the car by getting out of the car themselves and helping with seat belts etc. This should be a quick and efficient process, to avoid traffic congestion. Please heed the direction given by the staff member on duty at the Primary School Pick up/Drop off zone if they ask you to move forward in the line.

The family surname signs we have provided to Primary School parents for display on the car sun-visor or windscreen has helped the process flow reasonably well, with all things considered. Cars without this display make it difficult to identify during pick up, which does slow the process considerably. We kindly ask that parents remember to display the signs every afternoon at pick up. These signs will be provided to Kindergarten parents shortly. If you have lost or require a sign to be made for you, please contact Deb Paardekooper on deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

~ Parents and Caregivers are welcome to park their cars in allocated car parks, and collect their children, whilst maintaining social distancing measures

~ Parents and Caregivers may physically collect their children from the path outside the black gate

~ The black gate to the right of the Admin building will be locked from 8:40am. Any student arriving after 8:40am must enter via the canteen side entry and sign-in at the student office before going to class.

Road Rules in School Zones

Dear Parents & Caregivers

We have had advice that the Lake Macquarie City Council Rangers will again be out and about patrolling School Zones.

See the attached brochure which outlines School Zone offences. We ask that you understand your responsibility when dropping off or picking up your children from school.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe.

Bill Truscott
Business Manager

Newcastle Transport school bus service changes

As previously advised from Monday, 14th December, Week 10 Term 4, there will be improvements to Newcastle Transport regular routes and school service timetables. These changes have been made to improve reliability and better reflect congestion and travel times to get students to and from school in the Newcastle Transport area.

While there have been no changes to dedicated school service routes, some minor adjustments have been made to timetables to better reflect congestion and actual travel times to and from schools around the Newcastle Transport area.

Students who use regular routes will also need to check their timetables.

The changes that apply to the following school routes servicing Belmont Christian College are:

855 – 3 minutes earlier in the morning
863 – 2 minutes earlier in the morning

Timetables can be viewed here: https://newcastletransport.info/plan-your-trip/school-services/

Further transport information can be found on our College website.

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.

Primary Meet the Teacher Night

We are fortunate to be able to hold an onsite ‘Meet the Teacher Night’ this year, which will take place on Tuesday, 9th February 2021 (Week 3).

Although there will be COVID restrictions, the meeting should take the usual format.

On the night, parents will meet their child’s teacher, see the classroom and learn about a typical school day, areas of study and learning, special events and anything else that the teacher feels is important to share. The purpose of these meetings  is to provide an overview of the year.  For any questions from parents concerning their own child/ren, they  should contact their child’s classroom teacher to arrange a meeting at a time that suits, as required. 

Sessions for Stage 1 to Stage 3 will run for 20 minutes, and the Beginners and Kindergarten sessions will run for 30 minutes.

ON THE NIGHT:

~ Numbers will be restricted, which means that only one parent may attend with no children in attendance on the night.

~ Parents are asked not to attend if they have any COVID or cold or flu symptoms.

~ Using the QR code provided, parents will be required to sign in and out at the front door of the classroom, showing teachers the sign in registration. If a parent does not have a smartphone, they will sign in at the desk outside the classroom. Hand sanitiser and COVID clean pens will be provided. 

~ Parents will be asked to enter and exit classrooms distanced at 1.5m apart from other families.

~ Parents are asked not to shake hands or exchange physical greetings such as hugs and kisses, and wherever possible, stay at least 1.5 meters apart and practice good hygiene. 

~ Once in the classroom, parents should remain mindful of physical distancing.

~ Parents are asked to exit the College grounds and car park immediately after their session/s have ended, and not gather together  in groups. 

MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT SCHEDULE:
BEGINNERS 5:30 – 6:00pm
KINDERGARTEN 6:00pm – 6:30pm
YEAR 1 6:30 – 6:50pm
YEAR 2 6:50 – 7:10pm
STAGE 2 7:10 – 7:30pm
STAGE 3 7:30 – 7:50pm

Please complete the RSVP eform that has been emailed home, keeping in mind that one parent only may be in attendance.  

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on the night.

Secondary Swimming Carnival

The morning started with a huge splash ! Thankfully the early morning rain stopped and we were blessed with periods of sunshine during the mild conditions at Charlestown Pool on Tuesday.

Although COVID restrictions altered the conditions at the carnival slightly and the early rain may have dampened the atmosphere early on, competition soon heated up in the pool! Many of the age groups races were hotly contested and were very competitive throughout the serious Heat 1 events, and the fun participation heats following rounded out each event. Booth went out to an early lead with some strong performances in many age groups, throughout the day they continued to extend their lead.

Congratulations to Booth House for taking out the carnival and knocking Cuthbert off as reigning champions. Congratulations to all who attended for their participation and behaviour. 

House Points Overall
1st Booth – 998
2nd Robinson – 783
3rd Cuthbert – 746
4th Liddell – 633

Congratulations to the following Age Champions and Record breakers on the day.

Age Champions
Age                            Girls                              Boys
12 Years                     Elisha Sparrow             Raphael Gobrial
13 Years                     Estella Bonsor              Liam Boyce
14 Years                     Ellie-Sue Lusis             Aidan Rae
15 Years                     Lily Johnson                 Lewis Davies
16 Years                     Charlotte Robinson      Luke Hall
17 Years                     Sophie Davies              Lachlan Rae
18 Years                    Yvette Chesterfield      Joshua Hale

Record Breakers
Brew Austin – 18 Years 50m Freestyle – 26.95
Ellie-Sue Lusis – 12-14 Years 200m Freestyle – 2:36.52
Lachlan Rae – 17+Years 200m Freestyle – (time TBC) & 17 Years 100m Freestyle – 1:05.99
Victoria Robinson – 12-18 Years 50m Breastroke – 1:12.24 & 12-18 Years 50m Backstroke – 1:01.74

Pick up/Drop off Zones

Under current COVID-19 regulations non-essential visitors are not permitted in schools. Some visitors are permitted in schools based on the guidelines that follow. Parents and Caregivers should: 

~ maintain physical distancing by avoiding gathering outside of school gates
~ remain outside of school grounds (note some exceptions may apply regarding schools for specific purposes, vulnerable students or students with disability)
~ follow mask-wearing requirements and sign in using the Service NSW QR code when and if entering the school.

Parents and Caregivers are welcome to park their cars in allocated car parks, and collect their children, whilst maintaining social distancing measures. However we encourage the use of our Pick up/Drop off Zone.

Please take note of our current drop-off and pick-up arrangements as we endeavour to make afternoon pick up as smooth as possible. This should be a quick and efficient process, to avoid traffic congestion. In the Pick up/Drop off line, parents should remain in their car. Staff will be available to assist young children. Please heed the direction given by the staff member on duty at the Pick up/Drop off zone if they ask you to move forward in the line.

The family surname signs we have provided to parents for display on the car sun-visor or windscreen has helped the process flow reasonably well, with all things considered. Cars without this display make it difficult to identify during pick up, which does slow the process considerably. We kindly ask that parents remember to display the signs every afternoon at pick up. If you have lost or require a sign to be made for you, please contact the College office on deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Thank you for your ongoing patience during drop-off and pick-up time.

Road Rules in School Zones

We have had advice from the Lake Macquarie City Council Rangers that there is to be NO STOPPING on the road at the entrance to the College. Therefore once the College Pick up/Drop off Zone is full, cars need to start the queue on the Maranatha Close side of John Fisher Road at the ‘Keep Clear’ line. Once the queue is moving please wait briefly on the road at the entrance of the College.

The entrance gate to the College must also be left clear to allow traffic to go straight ahead. Please do not block this. The exit from the College is for exit only – do not attempt to enter the College through the exit as it may result in serious injury.

Also, a reminder of the road rules in School Zones are displayed in the infographic below. We ask that you understand your responsibility when driving in school zones and using John Fisher Road.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe.