Newsletter

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.

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. 

Volunteers to Pray for Year 12

We are wanting to cover the Year 12 students in prayer as they prepare for the HSC and their final months at BCC. 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 College 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.

Prayer Points

~ Good health for the BCC community from all sicknesses
~ Primary Musical – Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits
~ Year 12 as they complete their final term and Trial Exams
~ Executive in their roles and as they appoint new staff
~ Students who are struggling with their health, both mentally and physically
~ 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 here at BCC

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

Upcoming Important Dates

Primary

09.08.22 | Home Reading Ceremony (Years 1&2)
16.08.22 | Zone Oztag
24.08.22 | Fathers Day Stall
31.8 – 01.9 | Primary School Musical – Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits

Secondary

05.8.22 | Zone Athletics Carnival
8-12.08.22 | Construction Work Placement (Year 11)
10.08.22 | Whale Watching Cruise (Year 10)
18.08.22 | CSSA State Athletics
22.09.22 | Year 12 Graduation Assembly

Whole College

05.8.22 | 40th Celebration Dinner
15.08.22 | Parent Connect
22.08.22 | Parent Connect
23.09.22 | Last Day Term 3

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.

BCC Business Directory

Our Parent’s Business Directory is now available on our College website via the Community Hub. It is so great to see many BCC parents get on board with this initiative and share their business details with the wider BCC community.

If you are keen to join this Business Directory, which is exclusive to current BCC parents, please enter your business details here. Please contact Mr David Gray on david.gray@bcc.nsw.edu.au should you require any further information.

A Time to Remember and a Time to Tell

Happy 40th Anniversary BCC!

Some events are so transformational, their memory is set in stone.

The Israelites did just this after crossing the river Jordan to finally enter the Promised Land after 40 years. They took 12 stones – one for each tribe – and piled them together in Gilgal. The rocks served as a memorial as a time to remember and as an encouragement to tell the story of God’s faithfulness.    

In 1982, visionary members of Belmont Baptist Church, built a school on the foundation stone of Christ. And after 40 years of faithfully serving God and the Lake Macquarie community, it’s time to remember – because we have so many stories to tell! 

I have enjoyed watching interviews of founding members being compiled into videos and reading various stories in our newly printed book, 40 Stories for 40 Years. Like 12 stones for 12 tribes, we have 40 stories for 40 years, each story a stone that acts as a marker of God’s faithfulness and provision to us over four decades. But they also tell us something about the communal nature of church. We are many parts, but one body. Many rocks but one pile. 

It is my hope that our book, videos, assemblies and celebration dinner, will serve as a fitting reminder of Belmont Christian College’s past. Christian theologian Soren Kierkegaard said: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Looking back on our 40-year journey brings deeper understanding by allowing us to see ‘the big picture’. Some events that felt like stumbling blocks at the time are later revealed to have actually been stepping stones. 

Intentionally remembering our heritage brings to life the dynamic and intimate relationship we have with God and reminds us of  God’s faithfulness to our community. It also humbly demonstrates our faithfulness to God as we certainly have stories worth telling. I’m hoping the book and videos can be a touchstone to remind us that God has blessed us and been with us since our beginning in 1982. 

Yet, good memorials don’t simply memorialise the past – they also guide us in the present. 

If the past was a Time to Remember, then today is a Time to Tell. 

Time to tell the story of our community, our College, our church, and our God. 

Time to tell others about the love and goodness of God. 

Our job, our joy, our privilege – is to loudly praise the Lord. We can do this by telling our story. And as we remember the past, and are encouraged in the present, let’s not forget to look to the future. 

Peter reveals that “You are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple”. (1 Peter 2:5) 

As I close with a nod to the future, I would like to reveal that, as a result of God’s ongoing faithful provision, we will be building a new Sports Auditorium and Theatre in the near future. My heart is that the centre will serve not only our BCC community, but the local community as well. Something for us all to look forward to.

Praise God.

Functional Focus Therapy

For Learning Enrichment enquires please contact our Learning Enrichment Coordinator, Mrs Nicole Walters on nicole.walters@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Primary School Musical

Rehearsals and plans for this year’s Primary Musical Production are well under way! Sets are in construction, costumes are being completed, and our students are looking and sounding fantastic. Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits will thrill audiences in just under six weeks!

Tickets are now available and selling fast. Our evening shows have sold out already!

We look forward to this family friendly Musical Comedy entertaining our College community soon and look forward to seeing you at one of the performances.

Musicial Cast Costumes Needed

As our Musical production comes together, we have identified items that need to be obtained for our cast’s costumes.

Below in the table are the items still required for specific groups, etc. Your child may not be required to use these items themselves, but we are requesting that these items be offered on loan so that we don’t have to ask families to purchase them.

If you have any of these tabled items and are willing to loan them, we would really appreciate you completing the Google form here – note size etc. on the right hand side.

If your child is in any of the groups below you are required to provide the following items by Wednesday, 3rd August to your child’s teacher (except black school shoes – Year 4). Please contact Mr Stewart if you are unable to do so.

Class 3Yellow
Brown or black (stomping) boots
If you do not own these already, please attempt to borrow them. Please advise on the Google Form here.

Year 4 – whole year
Black school shoes with black socks (please ensure items are brought for the Dress Rehearsal Thursday 18 Aug and Production Week)

Year 5 – whole year

• Black pants (trackies, leggings, jeans – any all black long pants as long as they have no pictures or words)
• Black shirt – short or long sleeve ok (no pictures or words)
• Any good fun ‘bling’ if already owned – please don’t purchase just for the show.

Year 6 – whole year
Brown or black sandals if already owned.
Please advise on the Google Form here.

Leads

Sheikhs
Black Nike slides (or similar)
If you do not own these already, please attempt to borrow them. Please advise on Google Form here.

For the other Leads
Further requirements will be advised or we will source and provide.

Could you please send in the items as listed above to your child’s class teacher by no later than Monday, 8th August (except black school shoes) and please make sure all items are clearly labelled with your child’s name and class and placed in its own plastic bag.

If you are able to loan or donate any of the tabled items above, please drop items into the College Office also by Monday, 8th August.

Please also respond by completing the forms where noted above at your earliest convenience so we know which items are outstanding.

If you have any questions or issues at all, please don’t hesitate to contact the head of our costume team, Mrs Sarah Bell – sarah.e.bell@hotmail.com or our Producer, Mr Chris Stewart chris.stewart@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Musical Parent Helpers Needed

Time is ticking by very quickly and we are getting to the pointy end of preparations for the Primary School Musical, Ali Baba & the Bongo Bandits!

We are looking for parent helpers for the following:

Photography 
We are looking for a capable photographer to capture behind the scenes and stage performance at the following times:
Dress Rehearsal- Thur 18 Aug (11:30am – 3pm)
Production Day- Wed 31 Aug (9am – 3pm)

Student Supervision (includes helping students with costumes)
In Production Week at the following times:
Wednesday 8:30 – 3pm; 6pm – 7:30pm
Thursday 8:30 – 3pm; 6pm – 7:30pm

Canteen
In Production Week at the following times:
Wednesday 8:30 – 3pm; 6pm – 7:30pm
Thursday 8:30 – 3pm; 6pm – 7:30pm

Set Dressing
Any time in the next few weeks to help our set and props team ‘dress’ the set. This is great for someone who likes craft and design, has an eye for detail and colour.

Hair and Make Up Team
This would involve assisting the Team Leader and following the tutorials provided to do hair and makeup for students at the following times:
Dress Rehearsal
Thur 18 Aug (11:00am – 3pm)
Production Week
Wednesday 31 Aug 8:30 – 3pm; 6pm – 7:30pm
Thursday 1 Sept 8:30 – 3pm; 6pm – 7:30pm

Bump in/Bump out
This involves helping to bump in or bump out all items that will be transported from College to the venue and back again at the following times:
Production Week
Monday 28 Aug approx 10:00am till 2:00pm
Thursday 1 Sept 7:30pm till Late

Truck Loan
We are looking to borrow a truck during Production Week at the following times:
Production Week
Monday 28 Aug approx 10:00am till 2:00pm
Thursday 1 Sept 7:30pm till Late

If you are able to assist with any of the above, please contact Fiona Burgess at the College Office or email: fiona.burgess@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Music Tutors

We have a number of new Music Tutors at the College this term. Learning an instrument is a wonderful way for students to grow cognitively, emotionally and physically. Our wonderful new tutors are available during school hours to conduct private music tuition for your child.

Joining our team are:

Susan Phillippa – Saxophone and Clarinet
Alyssa Awing – Flute
Catherine Sheng-Cooper – Violin

Please find their contact details on the College website… https://bcc.nsw.edu.au/music-tutors

BCC has had an extremely successful sporting term so far with achievements as Primary School Zone Athletics Champions, Primary AFL Paul Kelly Cup Regional Champions, Secondary Open Girls Futsal Zone Champions and Secondary Open Boys Basketball Zone Champions and Secondary Junior Boys Basketball Zone Champions (Div 2)!

Whilst winning isn’t our focus, and of course we celebrate our growth, our education, and every soul that steps through our gates for Christ, we also need to celebrate our tangible victories when they happen, giving thanks for the opportunities and abilities that we have been given.

When we won athletics in 2015, the last win before that was 1994!! 21 years between titles.

Parents who came through the College and never experienced that were able to experience that through their kids when it was finally achieved.

When Booth won the Primary House competition a few years ago, the House captain was in tears as she received the trophy because her mother had told her how she’d competed for Booth back when she was a student at BCC and they’d never won anything.

Primary Zone Athletics – ZONE CHAMPIONS!

Belmont Christian College are Primary Zone Athletics Champions for the 6th time in our history, and the 3rd time in our last 5 carnivals!

On top of that, we won the double by finishing on top in the Challenge Cup, the trophy given by the way of total points divided by the number of students in the school.

We are the only school that has ever won both trophies in a single carnival and to cap it off, our Swimmers did the same back in February. This is the 3rd time we have won both titles in both carnivals, something no other school has achieved even once. 

We like to refer to it as our triple double double!

After 2 years of missing out due to Covid, our Primary Athletics team were able to flex their muscles on the track and in the field at the Hunter Zone Carnival.

Our athletes shone in the sun (and in the rain!) and set some amazing times and distances. 

A big congratulations to Kari Croxford who broke the 11yr Girls 100m record by a huge 0.48 seconds and our Senior Girls Relay team (Jasmine Mole, Holly Blowes, Charlotte Campbell, Kari Croxford) who smashed the record in their event by 1.44 seconds, becoming the first Girls relay team in our Zone to go under the 1 minute mark.

We have an incredible 29 students who have qualified for NSW CSSA at Homebush in September!

Congratulations to the following students who medalled in their respective Age Championship. 

Primary AFL Paul Kelly Cup

Our Primary Girls have won the Paul Kelly Cup Regional (Lake Macquarie/ Newcastle/ Hunter Valley/ Port Stephens) Championships!

Our girls have been historically strong in this event, going on to reach the decider, the NSW Paul Kelly Cup Grand Final twice before (2010 & 2016) and winning the Regional Finals on 4 previous occasions. Needless to say, it’s a tough competition.

All 4 times have been different and this was no exception.

We lost 4 players due to Covid yesterday and were able to call in some students to fill in, but we had no reserves. The girls were on the field the whole time. There were some minor injuries, but they acknowledged the importance of teamwork and needing to keep on going for their friends and teammates.

Our girls displayed grace, poise, resilience, strength ,courage, sportsmanship and commitment in what they did today. It was a big effort! We are very proud of the way they conducted themselves. 

The team they beat in the Grand Final, St Catherines (Singleton) were undefeated this year and had already beaten us twice before the final. Belmont won an epic Grand Final 15-8.

The day started with a 2-10 loss to St Catherines, Singleton, a team we played in our Zone competition, although they represent the Hunter Valley. In 4 attempts, we haven’t beaten them before.

The midfielders, led courageously by the ruckwork of Eva Proctor who gave the forwards plenty of opportunity to taste the Sherrin. With a few well kicked goals Belmont cruised through with a 20 – 6 win over Wirreanda PS in the 2nd game. 

The tensions were high in the next game as Tomaree PS faced the huge kick of Georgia Hofman from defense combined with hard running from Savannah Scharfe. The forwards were given plenty of opportunities and kicked out to a final score 50 – 6. 

Semi-finals bound, the girls had a rematch against Tomaree PS 

Tomaree came back harder this time, but couldn’t penetrate the Belmont defense. With gutsy runs from Kari Croxford and Stella O’Toole, Belmont came away with a 28-8 win. 

We came into the Grand Final to take on the undefeated St Catherine’s side. In the last 8 games they had only had 13 points scored against them. Quiet fell over the ovals as people watched a spectacular game of AFL. 

Both sides scored an early goal, but with 2 behinds Belmont were leading. 

As halftime grew near, the opposition was peppering the Belmont defense in search of a goal to put them in front, but couldn’t get past Mae Jones as she put her body on the line. Holding the 2 point lead at half time, the girls ran on excitedly but nervous. With the intensity of the game picking up, Jasmine Mole made a huge play, producing a well-timed tackle to earn a free kick within her goal-kicking range. She kicked it cleanly to bring the score to 15-8. The hooter sounded soon after and Belmont were Sydney bound in the NSW Final 8..  

The team will play in the Paul Kelly Cup State Finals at Spotless Stadium in Homebush (Home ground of AFL side GWS Giants) , competing against the other NSW Regional Champions.

Congratulations to Mr Pearson and student Assistant Coach Jeremiah Hindson for guiding the team through the competition. Mr Pearson did earn himself a Powerade and water shower for his efforts.

Mr Robins and Mr Pearson

Secondary Girls Futsal Gala Day

The Junior Girls Futsal Team played outstandingly. They were mostly against teams made up of girls in older year groups, however this didn’t prevent the BCC girls from showing other schools what they are capable of. The Junior Girls dominated in most games and finished up tying first at the end of their pool games. Unfortunately playing three games back to back prior to the semi finals meant their energy levels were a bit depleted and they went down in the semi final, resulting in 3rd place. The coaches are so proud of our Junior Girls Futsal team. Their determination and teamwork was incredible and they represented BCC so well.

The Open Girls won all games but one draw declaring them – WINNERS – Zone Champions! Well done girls.

Mrs Scoular and Mrs Todd

Secondary Boys Basketball Gala Day

In what was a monumental day for Basketball at BCC, the Junior and Senior Boys travelled to Broadmeadow to compete in the annual Gala Day. 

All four teams entered made the Grand Finals of their divisions, with the Division Two Juniors successful winners of the day. The Junior Divison Two team had a fairly comfortable win in the final against the team that beat them in their first game. Unfortunately the Junior Division One team were completely outplayed by a much stronger Green Point team.

However, in a history-making performance that included a one-point overtime win in the semi final, the Senior Boys won the day with one of the most exciting finishes ever witnessed at the event. Down by five with less than 30 seconds remaining, the very tired legs of Hunter Campbell, Heber Masseque, Taylor Donaldson, Rohan Henderson, Cooper Swaine and Cody Hill managed to win the Grand Final with some amazing clutch play that included a 3-point bomb from Cody and the buzzer beating winner at the last second by Rohan. A truly thrilling end to a great day. This team now will compete for the State Title in Sydney in September. 

All the lads conducted themselves very well and we’re excellent representatives of the College. Congratulations and well done to all involved.

Mr Hendriks and Mr Boyce

Coins for Compassion Day

We are delighted to announce that the total raised on Coins for Compassion Day was…

$10,650 !

Our goal was $9400 and with this amount, Compassion will be able to open a new project in the Philippines. This will mean hundreds of children will have access to education, food and healthcare which will have a positive and life changing impact on these children and their families. What’s also exciting is that because of our fundraising, hundreds of children will hear about Jesus – perhaps for the first time. We love that the culture of mission and giving is embedded in our students’ lives. Coins for Compassion day is now a favourite of many staff and students. It was so lovely to see the enthusiasm and generosity of our kids on the day and it’s awesome that the day impacts our students as well as children on the other side of the world. 

2022 Apprenticeship/Traineeship & Jobs Expo

Whether you are at school and looking for a career path, a parent hoping to give your child the best opportunities in life, looking for a career change or a job-seeker looking to commence a rewarding career, the 2022 Apprenticeship/Traineeship & Jobs Expo have all the answers you need.

For further information: brettcarterevents.com.au

National Skills Week Parent Engagement

In celebration of National Skills Week, Industry Training Hub are holding an evening of supercharged discussions with leading business experts, to learn more about the jobs of the future on the Central Coast and help your kids successfully navigate their way through VET career pathways in high growth industries. This event will be held on Tuesday, 9th August and is free to attend.

Enjoy for some face-to-face time with game changing employers in Manufacturing, Construction, Heath and Professional Services, walk away with new insights on the job and career opportunities available on the Coast, and get personal advice in the Q&A session at the end.

A light supper and refreshments will be provided during the event. Spaces are limited, so book now to save your seat.

Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Info Service

Australian Apprenticeships Pathways Facebook information page has loads of useful advice for obtaining an apprenticeship or traineeship. Opportunities are also listed. https://www.facebook.com/aatinfoservice/

Apprenticeship Support Australia Advice for Parents

An Australian Apprenticeship (commonly known as an apprenticeship or traineeship) combines paid on-the-job training with formal study resulting in a nationally-recognised qualification.

There are more than 500 occupations across Australia that offer apprenticeships and traineeships, ranging from Certificate II to Advanced Diploma levels, including traditional trades, as well as a number of emerging occupations in most sectors of business and industry.

The Australian Government even provides funding to eligible Australian Apprentices aimed to assist with the costs incurred whist they are undertaking training!

To find out which career may suit your child head to a free careers advice portal Skillsroad.com.au – Australian number one destination for career advice! http://www.apprenticeshipsupport.com.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).

~ 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.

The following activities and services are offered by external providers which may be beneficial to your family. These services focus on strengthening student’s wellbeing or academic capacity. While these are not explicitly from a Christian worldview, they do provide insights based on human wisdom and evidence based research. However, personal discretion will be required in whether these services align with your own beliefs. These are NOT fully endorsed by the College but are made available for families to make their own judgement and decision. 

Brave Parenting Conversations Webinar

HopeUC are holding a “Brave Parenting Conversation’s” webinar with Dave & Katie Kobler on Tuesday, 9th August. BCC parents who would like some more information on how to navigate brave parenting conversations with wisdom and courage are invited to attend.

The Krobler’s have a powerful ministry with teens & parents, talking about online safely, respectful relationships etc. they’ve spoken to over 250,000 young people over the last decade & are really at the coal face of what it means to be a teenager in this cultural moment. We want to help empower our families to be proactive in promoting healthy conversations around relationships. 

For more information and to Register click on the link below.

How to Help Your Child’s Essay Writing Webinar

Elevate Education will be holding a webinar on Wednesday, 10th August at 6:30-7.30pm focusing exclusively on Essay Writing, and how parents can help their children become better essay writers at home. 

Parents will learn: The importance of goal-setting in essay writing; How you can provide real-time support & feedback to speed up the process of improvement; How students can begin to self-assess their work so they can become independent writers.
 

2022 Young Entrepreneurs Expo and Dinner

Our College is committed to growing and supporting the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. In support of this, we run an annual Young Entrepreneurs Business Expo via our Stage 6 Business Studies program for students in Year 11. From scratch, students are challenged to develop a business plan for a hypothetical business idea, with the prospect of making it into a commercially viable product or service at a later time. The students then present these ideas and concepts to a panel of local Hunter Region business owners, known as ‘Sharks’, in recognition of the famous TV program SharkTank. We are pleased to announce the 2022 winners below. A very special thanks to our naming rights sponsor, Lance Jensen of Lance Jensen & Associates Real Estate as well as this year’s ‘Sharks’ who gave up a day of their time to work alongside our students and encourage them in this project – Wesley Wilson of Wilson Planning Pty Ltd and Ryan Bennett of SwimPro. Also thanks to the ongoing support of local businesses who sponsor the expo and celebration dinner. Their support is both welcomed and appreciated as we continually strive in growing our students to be ‘Future Fit’. 

Riley Yeomans – Winner of SharkTank Pitch – $300 prize

Kayden Webber – Winner of People’s Choice Award – $200 prize

Thanks to our local Sponsors:

Lance Jensen & Associates Real Estate
Ascension Finance
My Goal Australia
Belinda Kidd (Author)
365 Site Services

Poetry Competition

Congratulations to the winners of our Poetry Competition for Stages 3-6; Liam Smyth, Chelsea Wood, Olivia Cheng and Emily Hassall. All entrants demonstrated an ability to experiment with language and form through their poems. The English faculty enjoyed reading a range of poems which represented our students’ perspectives, beliefs and attitudes about their broadening world. Well done. 

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/

Hunter Valley Buses

Parents are asked to join the Facebook group Hunter Valley Buses School Trips where daily alerts, changes, and news regarding the Hunter Valley routes can be found.

The hope is that this will be a source of communication to address some of the concerns around Hunter Valley Buses school services so that parents, carers, children, and staff can be assured of safe and reliable transport.

Extended Leave

If you are planning on your child being absent from the College for 6 or more days for the purpose of ‘travel’ you will need to apply to the Principal for ‘Extended Leave – Travel’. Once the Principal grants permission you will be issued with a Certificate of Extended Leave – Travel that you will need to carry with you whilst on leave. This is a NSW State Government requirement. Applications can be downloaded here or acquired from the College Office. Please allow two weeks for processing.

Explaining Absences

Government Attendance Register requirements means that the College must receive explanations of absences within 7 days of the absence for an absence to be included as an ‘explained absence’ on student attendance records. We would value your assistance in this matter to keep your child’s record up to date by providing an explanation within 7 days. We are not able to make any changes to the record after the 7 days.

The most effective way to submit your child’s absence is via our Sentral Parent Portal. Once you have logged in, please follow the steps below:

1. Select ‘Absences’ from the menu, 
2. Select ‘Notify of an Absence’, 
3. Select your child’s name, 
4. Select the absence ‘Type’ from the drop down box, 
5. Enter the ‘start and end dates’, 
6. Press ‘send’. 

Sentral Parent Portal

The Sentral Parent Portal allows you to:

• Book Parent-Teacher Interviews
• Receive Student Academic Reports
• View Student Timetables
• View Wellbeing information
• Pay Tuition Fees
• Message Teachers
• Submit Student Absences
• Plus more features will be added in the future.

Please find below the Sentral Parent Portal link. You may wish to add this website to your smart phone home screen OR download the Sentral App by searching ‘Sentral for Parents’ in the App Store. Further instructions can be found here.

If you have not yet registered for the Sentral Parent Portal OR have difficulty registering, please email our IT department sentral@bcc.nsw.edu.au and they will step you through the process. 

Student Messages

If you need to get an urgent message to your child throughout the day please call the College Office on 4922 8300 and let the office know the message. Wherever possible, please try to send these messages to the Office before lunchtime, 1.10pm.

The Office team will endeavour to pass on the message to your child. Due to sports, excursions and changes to location of classes etc it can be difficult to pass the message on in a timely manner. Therefore we cannot guarantee that messages received after 2:00pm will get to the student before the end of the day.

Lost Property

We have quite a collection of unmarked lost property. Could you please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your child’s name. Lost property is located in the Office and the Primary School hallway. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to come and look for their child’s lost property, after first signing in at the Office.

Parent Information

Schools are indeed busy places. If you ever have any questions about the day-to-day operations of the College, then our one-stop-shop A-Z Guides are a great place to start. Click below for your guide:

If you have any further queries please refer to the Parents’ Directory on our website, otherwise our friendly office staff are more than happy to help and direct you. 

‘Informal for Year 12 Formal’ Mufti Day this Friday, 5th August

Beginners to Year 12 students are invited to dress Informal for the Year 12 Formal this Friday, 5th August.

Please bring a donation that will go towards making our Year 12 Formal special for our students.

Appropriate dress rules apply. 

End of School Day Traffic Reminders

As we welcome our students back to school for Term 3, your ongoing cooperation in assisting our attempts to better manage traffic flow and, in particular, drop off and pick up times is very much appreciated.

We have had recent further requests from our John Fisher Road neighbours, the Tranquil Waters Committee, and Lake Macquarie City Council traffic rangers to advise all parents/carers:

• please do not access the entry to Tranquil Waters at its Exit point (wrong way in a one way street) and exit at its Entry point before/after collecting students
• vehicles waiting to enter the College should be mindful of residential (and bus) traffic. Be advised, though you may be in the traffic that you should not pull across to the curb too far and so appear to be ‘parking’ across our neighbours’ driveway
• please note the ‘NO STOPPING’ signs on the roadway just before entry to the College. Council Rangers regularly do a patrol in the afternoons, and fines have been issued to those who have pulled over to the left near those signs in an effort to allow vehicles to proceed through the roundabout. 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 family surname signs provided to Primary School parents/carers for display on the car sun-visor or windscreen continues to help the process flow reasonably well. Cars without this display can make it difficult to quickly identify during pick up and slows the traffic flow in the pick-up zone. We kindly ask that you remember to display the signs every afternoon at pick up. To further facilitate traffic flow, please remember to follow teacher directions in the pick-up zone and keep the movement of vehicles toward the end of the College Pick up Zone to collect your children. If you have lost or require a sign to be made for you, please contact Deb Paardekooper on deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au or 4922 8300 Ext 521.

Lastly, we ask you to help us as we remind children walking to and from buses that the Siloam Drive entry is still a road way, not a pedestrian crossing, and they do need to be more aware that cars do need to drive through. On several occasions the children continue to walk across without checking if a vehicle is coming.

Depending on family circumstances, sometimes the traffic jam busyness can be avoided by scheduling pickup closer to 3pm, particularly knowing that your children are supervised by a staff member at the Pick Up Zone. We want to thank you for helping us keep our students and community safe, especially in the busy drop-off and pick-up times.

Edstart

We are pleased to announce that Belmont Christian College are now partnering with Edstart to provide flexible payment options to help manage school fees. Payment plans can fit around your budget and pay day.

Edstart is a specialist education payments provider with a platform specifically designed to make it easy for you to manage all education related expenses in one place. A dedicated customer service team will assist in structuring a plan that works best for your lifestyle.

The platform allows you to package school tuition fees, including any overdue balances.

You can choose weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments on any date in line with your income.

● Spread your school fee repayments over 12 months or up to 5 years after your children finish school
● Choose your preferred day for when payments are made
● Option to pay via direct debit, debit/credit card or BPay
● Adjust your payments at any time

Families can set up their account at edstart.com.au/bcc. Families currently on a direct debit arrangement with the College will be required to cancel this once their account on the Edstart platform is active. If you have any queries, please contact Edstart on 1300 139 445 or chat with their team at contact@edstart.com.au.

Alternatively, you can contact Michelle Mazzantini at michelle.mazzantini@bcc.nsw.edu.au for a confidential discussion or visit our College website.