From our Acting Director of Teaching and Learning, Mr Andrew Kable

“Why are we learning this?”

Coming from an English teaching background, I’ve heard those words more than a few times – I’m pretty sure I remember uttering them myself in high school.

It’s an interesting question to try and answer. The temptation is to respond with something about how employers need good literacy skills, or how you can use this in your work, or how it can help you earn more money.

But I’ve learned to pause, and think, and over the years I’ve developed a different, perhaps more nuanced philosophy.

Education isn’t just about employment. Employment is a dimension of education, certainly, but I don’t necessarily think it has to be the main game. Education is about discovering your gifts, talents and passions, and working out how you want to make the world better.

A few years ago our Chaplain spoke in Chapel about the three relationships that have been broken in the history of humanity; our relationship with God, with each other, and with the earth. The call of those who follow the Way (as Christianity was originally called) is to partner with God in healing those relationships; to champion justice, peace, mercy, joy, and truth. Education is about finding our place in this mission – how we can participate in the restoration of this original order; an order that is united with God in stewarding the earth, that brings peace to broken relationships and lives, and works to right injustice, poverty, inequality and pain.

Over the next few weeks our Secondary students in Years 8 and 10 will start selecting subjects they want to study in Stage 5 and 6. There are going to be some difficult decisions ahead, and the choice can sometimes be overwhelming. But I’d encourage them to try to see these choices as a way to discover where their gifts lie – as a chance to discover their unique purpose on this planet. Career decisions will be uncovered in time.

For those with younger children, something I’ve tried to do with my own primary-age kids is not just ask the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, but rather “who do you want to be?” Do you want to be trustworthy? Compassionate? Integrous? A righter of wrongs? How do you want to help other people and live lightly on the earth? Framed this way, school becomes more than just a means to employment. It can be where you develop the character, heart, resilience and knowledge to be all these things and more.

BCC has been partnering with families in this for 40 years now, and our world needs us to answer the question “why are we learning this” with more than just economic rationalism. It’s about us all making the world better, together.

Prayer and Praise

BCC Prayer Warriors

Prayer and a daily reliance on the goodness of God is at the heart of our College. To this end, our Prayer Warriors team gathers on the last Monday of each month from 8:45am – 9:30am to share, pray and connect with other parents. With restrictions now eased, please join us onsite as we commit the College and our community to God in prayer.

Term 2 Prayer Warrior Dates:
Monday 30th May
Monday 27th June

Please sign-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. We look forward to growing our Prayer Warriors group throughout the year.

Praise Points

~ Naplan being concluded for another year

Prayer Points

~ Athletics Carnivals – for fun, safety and students’ giftings to be evident
~ Continued protection from COVID and quick and full healing for all community members
~ Students who are struggling either physically, emotionally or mentally
~ Students to remain motivated with their studies
~ Staff who are experiencing grief, unwell family members or unwell with COVID
~ Protection for our Prinicpal as she is in Canberra this week representing the College
~ The upcoming Federal election
~ Our students to 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
~ Continued prayer for Executive and Board members as they lead the College with their Strategic Plan for Kingdom Education

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

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 carers will receive all official communication via Skoolbag and email as well.

Upcoming Important Dates

Primary

19.5.22 | Hunter Valley Zoo (Year 2)
25.5.22 | Athletics Carnival
31.5.22 | Soccer & Netball Metro Cup
02.6.22 | Newcastle Museum (Year 2)

Secondary

Whole College

27.5.22 | CSSA Cross Country

Our College Calendar is available on our website where you can be kept up-to-date with events throughout the year. Closer to the event parents and carers will receive communication via the Skoolbag App and/or email.

Group College Tour

Group College Tour – 7th June

If you know of any families that may wish to join our College community, we encourage you to extend an invitation to them to come along to our Annual Group College Tour, which is being held on Tuesday, 7th June from 9am. All the details and to book a place can be found here.

You’re Invited to our 40th Anniversary Dinner

Please note that there is no set seating on the night. Simply come along and join a table of 10 with friends and family.

It is very exciting that throughout 2022 we will publicly acknowledge and celebrate 40 years of BCC with a series of events. Praise God for His ongoing provision and faithfulness over so many years.

Our biggest event is a celebration dinner at Belmont 16s. I want to personally extend an invitation to you, as Parents and Carers to attend this dinner. Tickets for the BCC 40th Birthday Celebrations are now available for purchase here.

Event details:

Event: Belmont Christian College 40th Birthday Celebration Dinner

Date: Friday, 5th August

Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm

Location: Belmont 16s

Cost: $80 per ticket

Inclusion: 3 course meal (including soft drinks). Other beverages may be purchased at the bar.

Dress: Smart Casual

Ticket Sales Close: Friday 1st July. Click here to purchase a ticket.

Many plans and preparations are already taking place and I look forward to sharing this celebration dinner with as many of you as possible.

Kind regards,

____________________________

Sharon Sopher
Principal

Sport News

Athletics Carnivals

Due to the wet weather our carnivals have been postponed. Our Primary Carnival is now on Wednesday, 25th May and Secondary Carnival is Tuesday, 24th May. All details remain the same.

We have had a venue change for our upcoming Athletics Carnivals. Just for 2022, the carnivals will now be held at Baxter Field in Mark Point, as Hunter Sports Centre has been undergoing resurfacing and the continual rain we’ve had has caused some big delays for them with this job.

The Carnivals will start at 8:30am, at Marks Point, with students finding their teacher to have their name marked off the class roll.

Students are required to make their own way to and from the venue. However, there will be a College bus available to transport students to and from the College. IF YOUR CHILD REQUIRES THE COLLEGE BUS, THEY MUST WRITE THEIR NAME ON THE BUS LIST AT THE COLLEGE OFFICE. THIS BUS WILL LEAVE AT 8:30AM and will return in time for the afternoon school buses. Please note that these students will likely miss the first and last events.

There will be a canteen on the day. We hope to have a price list available before the day.

Students should bring the following:
– Hat
– Water Bottle
– Sunscreen
– Jacket / Rain protection
– Packed recess and lunch

Please refer to Primary and Secondary specific further information that has been emailed home.

Primary Cross Country

Even with the disappointment of not being able to attend our usual Cross Country venue this year, approximately 150 Primary students took the 2km and 3km runs head on during lunch last week on the College oval. The multi-lap event was still challenging, given the soft nature of the ground and the need to maintain your own lap count.

Congratulations to everyone that had a go, whether you completed the course or not. We have 32 students who have qualified for NSW CSSA and will head to Western Sydney in a few weeks time.

Congratulations to our Cross Country Age Champions for 2022.

	BOYS	GIRLS
8yr	Benji Blowes	Kora Croxford
9yr	Indianna Thornton	Zirk Lombard
10yr	Samuel Carter	Louella Scharfe
11yr	Martin Hallin	Charlotte Campbell
12+yr	Logan Cowling	Jasmine Mole

HOUSE POINTS

Booth have shown that they are not yet ready to hand over the annual title. After coming third in swimming this year, Booth have now passed Cuthbert and taken a big step towards catching Liddell at the top of the ladder with just Athletics and AFL competitions left.

BOOTH	222
ROBINSON	196
CUTHBERT	143
LIDDELL	137

CIS Rugby League Trials

Congratulations to Eva Proctor of Year 6, who was selected as a shadow player on the Open NSW CIS Rugby League squad. Four BCC students, Tyler Paterson, Riley May, Henry Batchelor and Eva, attended the hotly contested trial in Western Sydney. It was a very competitive day, with over 70 players listed at the trial. The players were split into teams and after some warmup drills and activities, played a number of games during their time there. Eva will now travel to the NSW Academy of Sport for a one day training camp. Whilst Eva may not get called up for the Championships (barring injury/illness to one of the selected players), she is the first girl ever selected as part of this NSW CIS Rugby League squad. Congratulations Eva!

Individual Student Achievement

Congratulations to the following students for outstanding sports achievements and selections:

Sunday Smith of Year 10 has been selected to represent NSW CIS (Combined Independent Schools) in the Under 15 Girls AFL.

Phoebe Duffy-Smith of Year 9 has been selected to represent NSW CSSA (Christian Schools Sports Association) in the NSW Under 15 Netball Team.

Amos Maddison of Year 9 has been selected to represent NSW CSSA (Christian Schools Sports Association) and AICIES (Association of Independent Co-Educational Schools) in Under16 Rugby Union Team.

Jenna Marshall of Year 12 was selected in Term 1 to represent NSW CSSA (Christian Schools Sports Association) at the Open Girls Hockey CIS (Combined Independent Schools) Tournament and Trials and she was successful in being selected in the Open Girls CIS NSW Team.

After excellent performances at the CIS (Combined Independent Schools) NSW Swimming Championships Victoria Robinson of Year 9 and Abbey Hemsworth of Year 8 have qualified through NSW All Schools Championships representing NSW CIS. Abbey qualified coming second in the grueling 200m Butterfly. Victoria qualified coming first in the 50m Backstroke Mutli-Class and first in the 100m Backstroke Multi-Class.

Well done to all!

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.

Creative Arts News

Secondary Drama Improvisation Competition

We are pleased to announce that our Drama students who represented our College beautifully at an all schools competition on the Central Coast last week won. Students participated in a 2.5hr workshop with 50 other students from around the Central Coast and performed Improvisation in front of a full theatre.

Our Intermediate team came third and our Senior team won and now move on to compete in a final in Sydney.

Congratulations to all students involved.

Uniform Shop News

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.

Uniform Requirements

Please click below to view the uniform requirements for each stage group.

Uniform Requirements

Uniform Shop Hours

Uniform Shop News, BCC opening hours 2022

Current Pricelist

OSHC News

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/

Fundraising with Entertainment Book

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).

~ 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.

Buy Now

Careers News

University of Newcastle Upcoming Webinars

The University of Newcastle has partnered with InspirationED to deliver free HSC webinars for students. These webinars will provide students with an opportunity to connect with experienced teachers and HSC exam markers to cover a range of curriculum areas. Students will gain advice on how to prepare effectively in their respective subjects and will be provided with an overview of the skills and strategies proven for success in their HSC year.

Please see below a list of upcoming webinars. To register go to https://www.newcastle.edu.au/study/hsc-subject-support-sessions

Introduction Session: Maximise Your HSC

Date: Tuesday, 24th May
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm

 The focus of these sessions is to provide advice on how to prepare effectively for your HSC year in the lead-up to the HSC trial and final exams. Topics include:

~ How to stay on track for the remainder of the year
~ Using the right tools and resources
~ Managing stress and anxiety
~ What HSC markers are looking for

We will link important course content and provide an overview of the skills and strategies proven for success.  

This session is designed specifically for Year 11 and 12 students and parents.

English Advanced

Date: Thursday, 26th May
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm

Presented by a highly experienced HSC teacher/marker, this webinar will detail all things Advanced English. We will focus on Paper 1: Texts and Human Experiences