Newsletter

As passionate Primary educators at BCC, we are committed to continuing to refine our skills and qualifications because like our students, we also enjoy the process of learning and growing! In doing so, our Kindergarten teachers recently undertook the Heggerty phonemic awareness course. The course focussed on teaching us to facilitate a student’s ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes, which has been proven to be one of the best early predictors for reading success. In addition, only last weekend, teachers also took part in an LEM Phonics refresher course. LEM phonics is a trusted and true program that helps provide learners the skills to break a word into its parts for spelling. The aim of LEM phonics, together with Heggerty, is to give students an incredibly solid foundation for learning success in Spelling, Reading and Writing as they progress through their Primary years. We also recently ran our yearly LEM parent workshop. This is especially for parents so that they too can support their child’s learning at home. Working in partnership with families really does help support the well-rounded learning of students. Our SLIP (School Learning Improvement Plan) works hand in hand with the more explicitly taught areas of the school curriculum. An essential goal for us as Primary teachers is to grow each child and to help make learning make sense and be an enjoyable process for all across all Key Learning Areas. As we all continue to upskill and further develop in our specialty areas in Primary education, we will bring students along on this exciting learning ride so that it can bring success and a sense of genuine achievement for all. With Christ at the centre of all of our teaching and learning, we pray that we continue to flourish in all areas!

Prayer Points

A prayer prayed over our community by Wendy Robinson on behalf of our Parent Prayer Group at our Commissioning Service held at the College – 17th February, 2021.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day, 17th February 2021, that we can freely gather, declare your truth and goodness, and freely seek after You.

Thank you for the leadership team and staff You have brought to this place for 2021. 

Thank you for Your faith, hope and love to fill their hearts every day, and for Your grace and wisdom to pervade everything they think, say and do.

Thank you for each student at BCC in 2021, those here today, and those still to arrive. 

Thank you that You have gone before them. You already know what 2021 will be like for each one, and You have put within each one all that they will need – courage, patience, strength and peace. 

Please help us to start each day, acknowledging You and Your power in our lives, saying, ‘I can’t, but You can.’ 

You are the God of the impossible, able to do abundantly more than we could ever think or dream.  

Help us to grow in the gifts You have given each of us and use them to be a blessing to others every day.

Thank you that You are building a generation who will KNOW You, and who will look back on their lives and say, ‘Look what the Lord has done,’ and they will declare, ‘God is Good.’

Thank you for Your protection over this community – physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

Thank you for Your continued favour and blessing on Belmont Christian College.

In Your name Jesus, we pray.

Amen.

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/

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.

OSHC provided by Camp Australia

Belmont Christian College are pleased to offer a before and after school care program on site through Camp Australia. The service is available from 7.00am to 8.40am and 2.50pm to 6.00pm each school day.

Register, book and manage your before and after school care bookings at www.campaustralia.com.au or call the Customer Service Team on 1300 105 343. Further information is also available on our website https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/oshc/

Mental Health Education Sessions

NSW Health recently funded headspace to deliver parent and caregiver mental health education sessions.

The purpose of these sessions is to provide mental health information to parents, carers and community members of young people in the region, to enhance their skills and confidence to engage their young person in a conversation about mental health and wellbeing.

These sessions will also offer parents and caregivers the opportunity to increase their awareness of local, state and national support services available and to hear from services about how to access this support.

Headspace is offering these sessions online from 6.30pm – 7.45pm on:

10th March 2021, register here
15th March 2021, register here

After you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation from Eventbrite which will include the Zoom meeting link to access the webinar on the evening. For more information please email: headspaceSchools@headspace.org.au

Get ready for The Big Vegie Crunch!

What is The Big Vegie Crunch? Did you know that only around 6% of Australian children eat enough vegetables? To help our community do their bit to improve this number, the College will be taking part in The Big Vegie Crunch (part of Vegetable Week).

On Thursday, 18th March at 10 am our College will be joining hundreds of schools across NSW to break the record for the most students crunching vegetables simultaneously.

But we need your help to make it a success!

On Thursday, 18th March, please pack your child a container of vegetables (not fruit this time) for them to crunch on.

Need some ideas?

• carrot, celery, cucumber – cut into sticks or left whole
• capsicum – cut into sticks or wedges
• corn – raw baby corn spears or a cooked corn cob
• broccoli or cauliflower florets – raw or lightly cooked to keep their crunch
• tomatoes – small cherry tomatoes or a large tomato that can be eaten like an apple
• beans or snow peas – raw or lightly cooked to keep their crunch
• mushrooms – sliced or left whole
• if fresh veg isn’t possible, try canned or frozen vegetables instead

And remember to keep serving up the vegetables at home and in your children’s lunchboxes.

Mr Robins –  Vegetable Week School Coordinator

Home Tutor Subscriptions

Mathseeds

Mathseeds is a comprehensive online Mathematics program for children aged 3-9. It offers a huge range of carefully structured lessons and activities that build mathematical skills over a broad range of number, shape and measurement topics. The Mathseeds program is packed full of enjoyable child-focused activities that makes learning a rewarding and meaningful experience. It teaches fundamental concepts in a fun, motivating and engaging way, whilst rewarding children for their efforts.

The benefits of Mathseeds include: 

~ A wide variety of lessons and activities that have been created by educational experts. Each lesson is carefully structured to build early mathematical skills.
~ Once a lesson is complete, it can be repeated as many times as needed.
~ Mathseeds provides parents with a simple “dashboard” to show each child’s mathematical progress.
~ Children can progress at their own level.
~ Each child can create their own avatar/online character.
~ Golden Acorns rewards can be used to add items to the child’s online treehouse or avatar.
~ Children love collecting the Pets – a new pet hatches at the end of every lesson.
~ Children receive a certificate after successfully completing the quiz at the end of every map.

If you would like extra information please refer to the website at https://mathseeds.com.au/?_ga=2.131044809.739665369.1583202549-294607997.1583202549. 

Registration and payments can be made by contacting Mrs Deborah Paardekooper at the College Office on 4922 8300 Ext 521 or deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au. A yearly subscription is available at a discounted price of $25.  

Reading Eggs

Learning to read is one of the most important skills children can learn. ABC Reading Eggs makes the learning to read journey fun, interactive, and highly rewarding for ages 2-13. ABC Reading Eggs was created by a highly experienced team of Australian Primary School teachers, writers and developers to help children become fluent and proficient readers. The multi-award winning early learning resource supports your child’s learning to read journey with carefully designed online reading games and activities that are easy to follow, self-paced, and highly engaging for young learners.

~ The lessons use colourful animation, fun characters, songs, and rewards to keep children motivated.
~ The program is completely interactive to keep children on task.
~ When children start the program, they can complete a placement quiz to ensure they are starting at the correct reading level.
~ Parents can access detailed progress reports as well as hundreds of full-colour downloadable activity sheets that correspond with the lessons in the program.
~ The program includes over 2000 online books for kids – each ending with a comprehension quiz that assesses your child’s understanding. 

If you would like extra information please refer to the website at https://readingeggs.com.au/.   

Registration and payments can be made by contacting Mrs Deborah Paardekooper at the College Office on 4922 8300 Ext 521 or deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au. A yearly subscription is available at a discounted price of $25.

Cross Country Carnival

The Cross Country Carnival will be held on Friday, 1st April off site at Croudace Bay Park for students from Years 2 – 12. Students will travel by bus to the park from 9:00am and return to school from 11:40 pm.

Parents/Carers are most welcome to attend, however we ask that you observe several regulations in order to assist the smooth running of the carnival, the safety of our students, and remain COVID aware.

• Parents/Carers are asked to be conscious of physical distancing in the area. Please park near the boat ramp carpark at the Eleebana end of the park
• Any unauthorised individuals who approach students will be questioned by a staff designated Course Marshall
• Parents/Carers are NOT permitted to leave the Start/Finish area. The course is a looped course around the park allowing for spectators to see the students run past at least twice
• If you wish to take your child home from the Carnival, please sign them out with the teacher who is their Bus Supervisor so all children can be accounted for at the end of the Carnival.
• Please send a written note, to be given to the supervising teacher upon departure, even if you are physically present. If your child is leaving from the Carnival with a family member or friend, your child must have a written note from their parent/carer. However, it is encouraged that students return to the College after the Carnival for a Sausage Sizzle and Connect.

The College Prefects and Student Leaders will be holding a Sausage Sizzle at the College for students when they return to the College at lunchtime. Funds raised on the day go to support representative sports students. Further details about how to place a sausage sizzle and drink order will be provided shortly.

Child Safety Awareness

The “NSW Police Legacy Child Safety Handbook” is a comprehensive resource to assist Parents, Caregivers as well as Teachers on a range of topics essential to child safety. 

The handbook has been updated to include key messages about COVID-19 safety and bush fire safety given the unprecedented fires we experienced earlier this year.  

The updated digital edition (link below) also includes important content updates from: NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, Rural Fire NSW, Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains, NSW Department of Family & Community Services, eSafety Commissioner and NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Please click on the cover below to view the updated digital handbook: