Newsletter

Remembering and Retelling

As you’ve already heard, and will hopefully continue to hear during this year, Belmont Christian College turns 40! And ‘40’ holds some Biblical significance as seen in many of its stories of faith, blessing, guidance, endurance, perseverance, testing and transformation. I am reminded each morning I drive through the gates of the College that we truly have a story worth telling, and we would be remiss in not passing on that story so every generation hears of God’s grace, His goodness and unfailing faithfulness in the past, the present, and future years. Psalm 145:4 proclaims to us “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”

Our recent Secondary School and Primary School Swimming Carnivals impressed on me again the strong, vibrant community that is BCC. Far from the classroom, I watched students cooperate and compete, staff organise and supervise, and families gather to cheer and encourage. It was heartening to say the least, and captured for me a momentary, yet essential element of who we are and how effectively an environment is created for our students that will enhance their engagement in their learning and that challenges them in their intellectual, emotional, physical, social and spiritual development.

So I would like to think that, despite the difficulties of the past two years, our 40th year will be one throughout which we can seek out appropriate ways to intentionally celebrate as a community. Let’s use our time this year to keep recognising not only those whose sacrifice and stewardship have enabled us to have such wonderful facilities, but also how what we see around us and ahead of us has come into being.

Throughout our 40th year, my prayer is, as we hear the stories of God’s “mighty acts”, we are reminded of the all-surpassing, abundant provision of our God who wills to draw each of us ever closer to Himself, and in His presence to know we are fully loved and fully known. My desire is for our current students to hear the acclaim of God’s blessing over past years and know they have a part in new stories yet to be told as they are encouraged to follow Jesus and find the particular ways in which they can shape culture by faithfully serving others.

Prayer Points

~ Safety from COVID-19
~ Those who are unwell or have unwell parents
~ New students and staff and their families
~ Secondary Camps at the end of this term
~ Our students know a real sense of belonging, are led to believing in Jesus as the Life-Giver, and are becoming all He has purposed for them
~ Our leaders during these ongoing COVID-19 times – our State and Federal leaders, for the Board, Principal & Executive

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

Prayer Warriors

Parents are invited to join our prayer group on Mondays at 8:15am and Fridays at 2:15pm. We meet at the College flag pole after signing in at the College office. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions our meetings can also be held via Zoom. For more information please contact Wendy Robinson wendy@wendyrobinson.com.au or phone 0409987939. Everyone is welcome to join in.

Current COVID-19 Regulations

As you know, COVID-19 continues to have an impact on our society, and so, maintaining the health and well-being of our students, staff and College community is a priority for us all.

Our website will be kept up-to-date with the current COVID-19 regulations. Parents and caregivers will receive all official communication via Skoolbag and email as well.

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/

Staff Update

We are pleased to have many new staff that have recently joined us here at the College.

Mrs Jessica Brown – Secondary Science / Maths Teacher
Miss Maisey Chaffe – Primary School Teacher
Mrs Beverly Eastaway – Finance Officer
Mrs Celeste Gill – Learning Enrichment Aide
Mrs Anna Gray – Learning Enrichment Aide
Mrs Laura Ioannides – Receptionist
Miss Trinity Maurer – TAS Aide
Mrs Rayanne McLean – Learning Enrichment Aide
Mr Joel Procter – Secondary Music Teacher
Mr Benjamin Prozinski – Secondary English Teacher
Mrs Rochelle Scoular – Secondary TAS Teacher
Miss Emily Shield – Secondary Music Teacher
Miss Sarah Taylor – Learning Enrichment Aide
Mrs Tahlia Todd – (Temporary) Secondary PDHPE Teacher

Over the term you will have the opportunity to learn more about them in our Newsletter.

You may also like to read the Our People page on the College website to find out a little more about all of our staff.

Introducing…

Miss Maisey Chaffe – Primary Teacher

Where have you come from? 
This year is my very first year of full-time teaching after completing my Bachelor of Primary Education degree last year at the University of Newcastle. 

What church do you attend?
C3 People in Merewether now known as Rhythm City Newcastle.  

What are your interests?
I love all things adventure- wakeboarding, jet skiing etc. I also love dancing and have done it for most of my life. 

A little bit about your new position at the College.
I am a Primary teacher! I teach Year 3 and I absolutely love our little class family. I pinch myself everyday at the fact that I have my own class. 

Any other information you’d like to share?
I look forward to a wonderful year and can’t wait to meet more of our amazing College families!

Mr Joel Procter – Secondary Music Teacher

Where have you come from? 
I have most recently been working at St Philip’s Christian College in Cessnock but I have always lived in Newcastle.

What church do you attend?
I attend C3 Victory in Charlestown.

What are your interests?
I really love a good filter coffee and finding places to have coffee wherever I am. I also love running and being active.

A little bit about your new position at the College.
I am the new Music teacher for Secondary and will be looking after all the elective music classes. As well as this I love seeing students grow in their own musical journeys through ensembles or private tutoring opportunities.

Any other information you’d like to share?
I am passionate about seeing students discover music and develop a love for it.

Mrs Laura Ioannides – Receptionist

Where have you come from? 
I have spent the last 15 years in Bathurst, NSW – the place where the V8s race, but did grow up sailing on Lake Macquarie for regattas and spend a lot of time at Fingal Bay where my parents live. 

What church do you attend?
Previously Bathurst Presbyterian Church. Currently Hunter Bible Church – Lake Mac. 

What are your interests?
I’m pretty obsessed with the ocean & activities near or on the water. I also enjoy cooking and sharing nice food (especially mediterranean) with loved ones. I would like one day to have a flourishing food garden and enjoy discovering places and simple treasures in life like old books, colour in art and nature and listening to stories of others – I’m quite sentimental. 

A little bit about your new position at the College.
I’m working at the front reception desk and look forward to welcoming you into this encouraging school, getting to know who you are and hopefully help you delight in such an uplifting school. 

Any other information you’d like to share?
I have a husband – Nick, daughters – Pippa (11), Florence (7), Hazel (5) and son Nikos (6 months). I delight in building moments with them in the outdoors and listening to them around the dinner table. 

Primary Zone Swimming Carnival

The Primary Swimming Team have won the Zone Swimming Carnival for the first time since 2015!

Students competed at Newcastle University last week against 13 other schools and came away with top spot after some sensational performances.

Not only that, but we also won the Challenge Cup, which is decided by total points divided by the number of students in Years 3-6 at the school. This is only the 2nd time ever that a school has won both trophies at swimming. The other time was also Belmont Christian College, in 2015, when we won the 2x trophies in both Swimming and Athletics!

We had 8 students win medals in their Age Championships, and 19 students have qualified for NSW CSSA Swimming in March.

Congratulations to our Swimmers for this outstanding achievement.

The following students won Age Champion medals:

CSSA State Hockey Gala Day

On Wednesday 23rd February students from the College competed in the CSSA State Hockey Gala Day and team trials. Jenna Marshall was our sole female representative who joined a barbarian team to compete for selection into the Open Girls CSSA Team. Jenna and her team had a very successful day winning all of their games. Jenna was outstanding on the field displaying her defensive skills and often showed her leadership qualities which is a particularly difficult task when you are playing in a team of people who you have never met before. We eagerly await the announcement of successful players when the teams are announced in the coming week.

The Open Boys Team which consisted of Rohan Henderson (Captain), Kelvin Marshall, Taylor Donaldson, Hunter Campbell, Liam Pickering, Heber Masseque, Cody Hill and Kynon Holmes had an outstanding day. Their closest result was against Illawarra Christian School in the first game of the day with a narrow 5-4 victory as the players found how to best work as a team and used team skills and tactics. The boys continued on their winning streak throughout the pool matches to finish on top. The semi final was against Parkes Christian School after a very heavy rain downpour which completely changed the conditions of the astroturf and called for a quick change of tactics as well. The team adapted impressively well which allowed them to beat Parkes 6-1 and move into the final against Inaburra Christian School. Inaburra teams have regularly been our opponent in the finals over the past 3 years. The weather and field changed for this game with the sun heating up the conditions, so the game was played at a much slower pace and had to be approached more tactically than any other played on the day. The team gave everything they had to eventually win the game 8-6. The win was overall a team effort, all players either scored or saved important goals throughout the day and are to be congratulated on their perseverance, teamwork and sportsmanship.

We wish Rohan and Kelvin the very best as we await the announcement of the Open Boys Team for CSSA.

BCC Sport Website

For all Belmont Christian College event information, announcements, 2022 sports dates and results throughout the year visit: http://www.tinyurl.com/bccsport.   

2022 Sports Dates

Our Sports Coordinators are pleased to provide the current confirmed 2022 College Sporting Dates. As more dates become available the document will be updated on the College Sport website.

Career Planning for Students on the Autism Spectrum

Date and time: Wednesday, 9th March 2022 | 4pm

For 20 years, ‘myfuture’ has been a trusted source of career information within the Australian education community providing content that is practical, targeted and developed by experts. As well as supporting students, teachers and career practitioners, myfuture provides tools and resources to help parents and carers support their child’s career exploration, engage them in career conversations, and raise awareness of post-school options.

In this Insights webinar, Associate Professor Marina Ciccarelli from Curtin University, and Cheryl Mangan from Autism CRC will provide information about the myWAY Employability evidence-based resources available to assist young people on the autism spectrum in transition planning, to build their employability, and maximise their potential.

Join the team from myWAY Employability to discuss such topics as:

•             Starting challenging conversations about the future

•             Identifying personal strengths, interests, and sensory preferences to guide career exploration and work experiences

•             Providing a just right challenge

•             Building self-determination

Register now for this free event: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1366920972620471309

NSW Mining Careers

UAC Digital / Year 12 Conference Online

UAC Digital, is presenting their annual Year 12 Conference again in 2022. Check out UAC key dates for webinar topics, session times and registration links. 

The 2023 Year 12 Conference is a conference designed for students: find out about the participating universities, why students should consider them for future study, and what’s coming up in 2022.

Date and time: Tuesday, 26th April 2022 | 6pm to 7:45pm

Agenda: Each university will have a 5-minute block to highlight their best qualities and share useful resources. UAC will finish the conference with some key information to help you make the most of your application to university.

The 20 universities include:

– Australian Catholic University
– Australian National University
– Central Queensland University (CQ University)
– Charles Darwin University
– Charles Sturt University
– Griffith University
– International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS)
– Macquarie University
– Southern Cross University
– Sydney Institute of Business and Technology (SIBT)
– Torrens University Australia
– University of Canberra
– University of New England
– University of New South Wales (UNSW)
– University of Newcastle
– University of Notre Dame Australia 
– University of Sydney
– University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
– University of Wollongong
– Western Sydney University

If you have any questions about the online conference, email cedigital@uac.edu.au and register here.

Home Tutor Program 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 their website

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 their website

Subscriptions are now available at a discounted price of $25 each. Registration and payment can be made by contacting Mrs Deborah Paardekooper at the College Office on 4922 8300 Ext 521 or deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

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.