Newsletter

Special Place – Reflecting on our 40 Years

Ever since my first affiliation with the College in the 1990’s and early 2000’s as a member of the College Board, and then as a member of staff for the past 18 years, I have loved the way we approach ‘doing school’. Our intentional, highly relational focus has had a lifelong impact on my three children, each of whom were students at the College for all their schooling years, and now I relish the same opportunities for my grandchildren who now attend. At our recent 40th Year Anniversary Student Assembly, and in the 40th Year Celebration Dinner we rightly reflected on the past while giving thanks to God for His provision and faithfulness. There’s nothing like hearing our stories and sharing our stories with others.

When we gathered the whole school together for the Student Assembly I referred to the ‘special place’ which we are privileged to call our school, and asked all those assembled to consider the physical things around us that we now enjoy as a result of the hard work, prayerful effort and sacrificial obedience of many before, and since we first came to our current site in 1992. But it is much more than the obvious physical surroundings, gardens, buildings and reminders of the colliery that are important markers for our memory, it’s also the people around us, those sitting nearby, those at our shoulders, those with whom we interact in various ways throughout our day. Our students and staff were encouraged to enter this ‘special place’ with their eyes open, so they keep seeing and experiencing what we all have here as a community that is indeed a VERY special place. And it’s one for which we are grateful that we get to share the richness of its distinctive cultural, academic, and spiritual bounty with this generation and the next, thanks not only to our pioneers, but most especially to our generous, loving God for His wonderful life-long provision.

My abiding hope for this ‘special place’ over the next 40 years, God-willing, is that we grow even more in our dedication to being a Christ-focused community where our students experience an unshakeable sense that they belong. In such a community, my prayer is that our daily focus enables students to feel safe enough to risk questions and verbalise doubts as they explore aspects of faith and discover for themselves what it means to believe in Jesus as the author of life. Within this context of faith and relationship we pray they discover God’s purposes for them as they grow up into Christ, serving Him and their community for His glory and purposes.

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
~ New students and staff as they settle into BCC
~ 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

24.08.22 | Fathers Day Stall
26.08.22 | Stage 3 Choir Performance at Aged Care Facility
31.8 – 01.9 | Primary School Musical – Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits
02.09.22 | CSSA Athletics Carnival
14 – 15.08.22 | Year 4 Camp
21 – 23.09.22 | Year 5 Camp

Secondary

18.08.22 | CSSA State Athletics
30.08.22 | Biology Ecology Walk (Yr 11)
22.09.22 | Year 12 Graduation Assembly

Whole College

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.

Fathers Day Stall

Students from Kinder to Year 6 are invited to attend the Father’s Day stall to be held at the College on Wednesday, 24th August.

Parent volunteers are needed to assist the children with their purchases on the day. If you are able to assist please contact Fiona Burgess on fiona.burgess@bcc.nsw.edu.au. A current Working with Children Check would be required.

Edstart

Alongside other fee payment options (e.g SentralPay), we are pleased to announce that Belmont Christian College is now also 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.

Primary School Musical

There is a beautiful presence in rehearsals as we lead up to the Primary Musical Production, Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits. Last Tuesday, we were able to run the show for the first time, integrating all the emerging set pieces and props with our wonderfully energetic cast. Our leads are developing wonderfully and the singing and dancing are shaping up to be so much fun.

Get ready for a truly fun story with lots of laughs and adventure.

Purchase Tickets

Tickets are still available for our Matinee show. Our evening shows have sold out already!

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:

Amatuer Videography 
This will involve setting up the video camera and tripod (we will provide hardware) and keeping watch over the video throughout the show. It’s really not too honerous. Video editing skills are preferable but not essential.
Thursday Matinee – 11am – 2.30pm
Thursday Evening – 6pm – 8.30pm

Student Supervision (includes helping students with costumes)
We are still in need of some volunteers for general student supervision and assistance with costumes on: Wednesday Dress Rehearsal – 8.30am – 3pm
Thursday Matinee – 8.30am – 3pm

Hair and Make Up Team
We have a wonderful team leader who will have examples and clear instruction for what is required – don’t be scared. We have gaps to fill on:
Wednesday – 8.30am – 3pm
Thursday Evening – 6pm – 7.30pm

Bump out
This involves helping to bump out all items that will be transported back to the College on:
Thursday Evening – 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.

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.

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/

Our team has completed across-campus checks of writing samples for visual discrepancies, resulting in the identification of issues with pencil grip, visual-convergence issues, hand pain and more.

These minor identifications have led to a small percentage of our students seeking support from a behavioural optometrist or occupational therapist, ultimately, lowering barriers to successful learning. If your child is having similar symptoms to those listed above, please reach out to our Learning Enrichment Coordinator, Mrs Nicole Walters on nicole.walters@bcc.nsw.edu.au so we can discuss the best way forward for effective support.

Parent Support Group

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

Student Assembly

We have had a great time celebrating our 40th birthday. We gathered as an entire College to recognise the significance of 40 years of education at Belmont Christian College. It was a beautiful sunny morning as we reflected on God’s faithfulness and goodness to us over many years.

Celebration Dinner

Many people from the wider BCC community then gathered at the Belmont 16’s for a wonderful dinner celebration. The night provided a rich time of fellowship and reflection as together, with our foundation pioneers, we celebrated all that God has done throughout this College these past 40 years. Our specific prayer for the evening was that God was glorified, our pioneers were honoured, and that everyone present in the room felt the weightiness and privilege of what we get to do here at BCC each and every day.

One of the threads that helped bring the night together was an ongoing reference to the bricks/stones of remembrance. Some events are so transformational, their memory is set in stone. The Israelites did just that after crossing the river Jordan. They took 12 stones and made a pile which served as a memorial of a time to remember. The brick also represents our future and I was pleased to announce that we will be building a combined Sports Auditorium, Theatre and Cafe.

There was also an opportunity on the night to purchase a brick that bears your family name or the name of a child. These ‘family’ bricks will be laid on a footpath or embedded into a wall in and around our new building. Either way, they are going to serve as a reminder that you are a part of our BCC community, a part of God’s story, His ongoing story at the College. To that end, can I encourage you as a current BCC family to consider purchasing a brick that bears your family name. Many families have purchased a remembrance brick already. Some decided to purchase multiple bricks to represent each of their children. Others decided to purchase one brick that represented their entire family. You can decide the text you wish to display on the remembrance brick.

For more details, text suggestions for the brick, or to place an order, can I encourage you to make contact with Fiona Burgess – fiona.burgess@bcc.nsw.edu.au

If you missed the evening and would like to receive a copy of the BCC 40th birthday commemorative booklet, these are also available for you to purchase. Please contact Fiona Burgess on the email listed above to place your order. 

• Commemorative Booklet – 40 Stories for 40 Years – $20
• Remembrance Brick – $40
• Commemorative Booklet – 40 Stories for 40 Years & Remembrance Brick – $55

Praise our God for His faithfulness and provision and all that He is doing at BCC.

Sharon Sopher
Principal

Are you looking for a little extra paid work?

We are looking for people to supervise the upcoming HSC exams held here at the College. The exams are from Wednesday, 12th October – Friday, 4th November 2022. A paid Working With Children’s Check is required. These are easily attained through Service NSW.

If you are interested in finding out more information please contact Miss Melanie Melcum on melanie.melcum@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Clue

This term, Year 11 Drama students have formed a theatre company. They have taken full responsibility to produce, direct, design for and perform in the play Clue, a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery, which is based on the classic Hasbro boardgame. 

The play begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out.. WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT! 

Students not only perform the show, they are also responsible for all areas of the production. Skills such as time & budget management, communication (marketing and directors notes), scheduling and working as a team have been enhanced through the process. 

Directors – Emma Cashion & Heber Masseque
Stage Manager – Jack O’Toole
Marketing manager – Owen Irvine
Costume designers – Issy Hansen, Sophia Hart & Jacqui Wilson
Prop design – Ben Blackler & Sean Pilgrim
Sound and music composition – Hugh Brindley 

Come along and enjoy a night out at the theatre. Tickets are free, however, there are limited seats, so get in quickly by clicking below. 

Primary Oztag – ZONE CHAMPIONS!

Our Primary Open Oztag Teams had the opportunity of representing the College on what was a very successful day of Oztag competition in Newcastle this week. 

In an event that has had to be cancelled over the last two years due to Covid-19, both our girls and boys teams were keen to get back onto the field for the resumption of the annual Gala Day.

Both teams played brilliantly and both finished the day undefeated. 

The results became closer as the day went on, but in the end both teams won their respective grand finals to take the Zone title.

A select group from these teams will now form our College team to compete in the NSW CSSA mixed competition later in the term.

Congratulations to our Primary Oztag teams!

Mr Stafford

Primary CSSA Netbal Gala Day

On Thursday, 4th August, our Primary Netball teams headed to Penrith to participate in the Metro Cup State Final. The girls did extremely well, they played 5-6 games with only a few minutes break in between. Both of our teams topped their pool and made it into the finals!

Our Junior Girls team (Years 3-4) are made up of a mix of regular Netball players and some girls who have never played before. To make it to the semi-finals is a huge achievement! They ended up losing their semi-final but gave a fantastic effort! 

Our Senior Girls team (Years 5-6) are made up of students who play regularly and some who also don’t play at all. They did extremely well to defeat Charlton Christian College in the semi’s and made it to the grand final! They played against Northern Beaches Christian College, it was a tough game and the girls did extremely well, they ended up coming second! 

It was an amazing day, the weather was very kind to us and the girls smashed it. They showed fantastic sportsmanship and represented our school community well. Well done girls!

Mrs Neale

Primary AFL Grand Final

Our 15th Annual Primary School AFL competition was wrapped up last week after being postponed last term due to wet weather.

The competition was heavily affected by rain 2022, but in the end it was The Barbarians (a team made of Robinson and Booth players) lining up against the Liddell Bobcats, a team playing in their 2nd consecutive decider.

Classes from Secondary came out along with the Primary School to watch the spectacle, with many parents also attending to cheer on their children. It was a great sight watching the crowd cheer for their friends, with banners and flags waiting.

The teams ran out, tearing through their teams tifo’s before lining up for the National Anthem.

From the bounce it was one-way traffic as the Barbarians, led by captain Joshua Dalgety were too fast from the middle and with a gentle breeze at their backs were able to set an unassailable lead at the break. 

The halftime message from Bobcats skipper Tyler Paterson was just to start again and look at winning the 2nd half, and to their credit, that is exactly what they did in an inspired comeback.

However a goal to Lomani Clarke midway through the second half slowed the Bobcats charge and The Barbarians would go on to record a comfortable 51-20 win.

Congratulations to all players and spectators for once again putting on an entertaining performance and maintaining the community spirit which this event has developed over the years.

Secondary Boys Rugby 7’s Gala Day

Earlier this term two teams of students from Belmont Christian College had the opportunity to represent the College at a Rugby 7s invitational Gala Day hosted by Hunter Valley Grammar School.

Despite only having a very short time to prepare the day, both teams played some excellent Rugby, with the u16s finishing third, and the u14s continuing to improve throughout the day before bowing out early in the finals.

By far the most pleasing part of the day however was the camaraderie, sportsmanship and resilience that the boys showed. We had many referees, coaches and development officers commend our students on the day for their skill and the spirit in which they played the game.

For many of our players, this was their first experience with Rugby, and it was fantastic to see the student’s willingness to get involved and develop some new skills.

I would also like to thank all the parents who came on the day to support and assist the teams. Your contributions are not only appreciated but are essential to further developing a positive, community-centered culture.

On the back of this event, we are now building towards a second 7s Gala Day in September, where we are excited to also be entering some girls’ teams. Enthusiasm has clearly continued to build around BCC Rugby, as we now have had over 100 students express an interest in participating. 

Mr Prozinski

Individual Student Achievement

Congratulations to Hannah Button of Year 11, for being selected in the Under 18s NSW Volleyball team. Hannah will travel to the National Championships in Victoria later this term. 

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. 

Resilient Kids Conference

Belmont Christian College is pleased to provide our whole College community with a free virtual pass to the Resilient Kids Conference on Saturday, 8th October for parents, educators, youth leaders and anyone working with young people.

At the heart of the conference is a desire to offer parents and educators support, teaching and resources to encourage and equip them in their roles as they assist in the nurture of our precious children.

The RKC team gathers Australia’s top experts on a variety of issues that are affecting our young people today, and brings them to you in one place on one day. 

For your FREE virtual pass, please keep any eye on your College email inbox for details or contact our Head of Wellbeing for K-6, Mrs Leoni McNeill on leoni.mcneill@bcc.nsw.edu.au or for Years 7-12, Mr Nate Miller on nate.miller@bcc.nsw.edu.au. You will also have access to the content for 8 weeks in case you are unavailable on the day.

Bookings are essential and limited so register early.

How to Help Your Child Write Better Notes

Elevate Education will be holding a webinar on Wednesday, 24th August at 6:30-7.30pm focusing exclusively on the most effective way to structure notes, the 3 levels of acquiring knowledge and how to implement this with your child at home, the power of deliberate practice and the fastest way for your child to improve their marks.
 

Science Week

This week is National Science Week in NSW. The theme for 2022 is ‘Glass: More than meets the eye’, highlighting the incredible properties and uses of glass.

Students from Beginners to Year 12 have enjoyed activities during lunchtimes, with the Science team. Activities range from constructing light globes from carbon filaments (much like Thomas Edison’s carbonised bamboo filament prototype), utilised lasers and jelly to observe total internal reflection, as well as constructing optical fibre from hot glue filaments. Beginners have constructed sugar glass Christmas decorations with a Year 7 class, as well as observing rock crystals and snowflakes using hand lenses.

Glass is indeed an incredible substance, and we’re reminded of the many helpful ways in which glass refracts visible light in our modern world. In John 8: 12, Jesus describes himself as the light of the world in the darkness, that in him we will not stumble with ‘the light of life’, illuminating meaning and ensuring hope. Jesus shows us the image of father, and much like glass does when refracting light, bringing into focus the fullness of God’s character and his redemptive purposes for people.

Thank you to the Science team for all of their efforts this week, bringing rich learning activities to our students, helping to bring to light the wonders of glass. 

Onsite Parent/Carer Sign In & Out Friendly Reminder

We welcome appropriate visitors into the College community. However all visitors are required to report to the College Office Reception on arrival (see exceptions below). This is important as the purpose is to ensure that the College continues to provide a safe and secure learning and teaching environment for students and staff by maintaining processes to monitor and manage visitors. As well as complying with the Child Safe Standards, Child Protection and WHS legislation.

Our Sign In/Out procedure is as follows:

• Sign in at the College Office using our digital system. Signing in records name, date and time of visit, and purpose of visit. You may be required to provide proof of identification to office staff upon request
• Wear the visitor’s tag that is provided in a visible location on person at all times while onsite
• Follow instruction from College staff and abide by all relevant policies relating to appropriate conduct on College grounds
• Return to the College Office upon departure and sign out.

There are some exceptions where parents/carers do not need to sign in at the College Office but can instead use QR Code signage made available:

• Those visiting the Uniform Shop
• Those attending Primary School Rise-Up!
• Those attending special assemblies
• Those attending Playgroup
• BCC Beginners parents/carers may escort their child to, or pick up their child from, the Beginners foyer in the morning and/or afternoon. Parents/carers who enter the foyer are required to sign in via the QR Code provided at Beginners.

Please note:

• Signing in applies to parents/carers who come onsite to sign in or sign out their child, those who may be interacting with staff and students, helping out in classrooms, class activities, etc…, but DOES NOT apply to those attending the regular outdoor morning Primary School assemblies
• At no time should parents/carers visit the classrooms unless volunteering and first signing in at the College Office.

Parliament and Civics Education Rebate

Year 6 students will soon be undertaking an education tour of the National Capital. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the National Capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.