Newsletter

Summer to Winter Uniform Change-Over Period

As we finish Autumn, the first two weeks of term are a change-over period from Summer to Winter uniform across the College. Students may choose to wear either their Winter or Summer uniform from Wednesday, 26th April. However, it must be one or the other and not a combination of both.

Students are to be in full Winter uniform from Monday, 8th May.

Please refer to our website for further uniform information.

Summer to Winter Uniform Change-Over Period

As we finish Autumn, the first two weeks of term are a change-over period from Summer to Winter uniform across the College. Students may choose to wear either their Winter or Summer uniform from Wednesday, 26th April. However, it must be one or the other and not a combination of both.

Students are to be in full Winter uniform from Monday, 8th May.

Please refer to our website for further uniform information.

The high school I went to as a teen was a generally positive experience… with a few standout negatives. For example, I distinctly remember one of my Science teachers making a student stand in the bin for half a lesson because he was ‘garbage’. That moment stuck with me, not just because of the visual, but because of the impact on that young person’s life – being told in no uncertain terms that he was terrible at a subject, and terrible as a person.

I don’t remember his name, but I hope he’s doing okay.

As an educator, my role with students is to provide the exact opposite environment – one of high growth expectations, coupled with high safety and support. It’s also a broader cultural marker that we strive for as a College:

We believe that every student can learn given the right circumstances, encouragement and expectation.

Every single student at BCC can learn. Everyone can grow. Some have strengths in particular areas, some have challenges, but no matter the starting point, growth is possible – even for the most difficult of tasks. It’s that environment of high expectations we aim to create. 

But it’s not just about the expectations, it’s about the support to get there. We can visualise the different effects of support and expectations like this:

This graph is adapted from some excellent research on motivation which concluded that people are at their best when there are strong expectations to meet, but also a supportive environment that helps us get there. An environment that believes in us, but also challenges us to get better. An environment that knows we can grow, and provides safety in the process.

As a parent, this is something I try to provide my own children, and something we as a staff work towards for each of yours. We’re not always perfect – we’re learning too – but I truly believe that every single student at BCC can grow as we move forward together, every day.

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. 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.

Praise Points

~ The success of the Primary School Musical
~ The birth of Mrs Neale’s baby girl, Hallie
~ Mrs McNeill becoming a first time grandmother
~ God’s continued provision

Prayer Points

~ Continued focus for the Year 12 students as they finish their classes and the lead up to their final HSC exams
~ Good health and wellbeing for the BCC community
~ Staff recruitment for 2023
~ Upcoming Year 4 and 5 Camps
~ 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

Year 12 Mufti Day

On Tuesday, 20th September, Beginners to Year 12 students are invited to come dressed “Mufti” (out of uniform) to celebrate our Year 12 students’ final week of school.

Please bring a gold coin donation. Funds raised will go towards the Year 12 Formal. 

Appropriate dress rules apply. 

Upcoming Important Dates

Primary

16.09.22 | Australian Reptile Park Excursion (Beginners)
21 – 23.09.22 | Year 5 Camp
11.10.22 | Beginners and Kindergarten Information Evening
20.10.22 | NSW CSSA Biathlon
20.10.22 | Kindergarten 2023 Orientation Day #1
25.10.22 | Grandparents Day
25.10.22 | Book Week

Secondary

19-23.09.22 | Scuba Course (Yr 10 Marine Studies)
20.09.22 | CIS State Athletics
20.09.22 | Year 12 Mufti Day Fundraiser
21.09.22 | Year 12 Graduation Assembly
23.09.22 | Luna Park Big Day Out (Yr 12)

Whole College

16.09.22 | Year 12 Servant Auction
19.09.22 | Year 12 Servant Day
19.09.22 | Staff v Student Soccer Match
23.09.22 | Last Day Term 3
18.10.22 | Parent Connect

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.

Year 12 Graduation Assembly

Due to our newly declared National Day of Mourning, Year 12 Class of 2022 Graduation Assembly will now be held at 11.15am on Wednesday, 21st September in the College Multi Purpose Building.

Light refreshments will follow this special assembly.

Parents and family members are invited to attend, however numbers of visitors will be limited to 2 people per student due to seating arrangements in the Multi Purpose Building. Please RSVP here by 16th September.

Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the event to sign in and be seated ready to start on time.

We are excited to be able to host this occasion and look forward to welcoming parents/carers on the day.

Download the Sentral Parent App

You may be aware that the College uses the Sentral Parent Portal as a means of communication with parents/carers. Our future plan is for BCC families to use the Sentral Parent App for all communication between College and home, ensuring everything you need to know about your child’s education journey is all in one place. (Note: The SeeSaw App will continue to be used for lower Primary learning updates).

Please download the Sentral Parent App at your earliest convenience by searching ‘Sentral for Parents’ in the App Store on your smart phone and ensure that notifications are enabled within the App. Set up instructions can be found here.

We believe that it will add to the convenience of the already existing features listed below:

• Book Parent-Teacher Interviews
• Receive Student Academic Reports
• View Student Timetables
• View Wellbeing Information
• Pay Tuition Fees 
• Message Teachers
• Submit Student Absences
• View the College Newsletter

* Note the Calendar feature is not fully functioning as yet. However, parents/carers can access the Parent Calendar through ‘links’ within the Sentral Parent App.

For your knowledge we are currently testing the Activity Permissions feature in the Sentral Parent App which allows parents/carers to easily give permission for their child to attend school Activities/Excursions. This will be introduced soon so we encourage parents/carers to download the Sentral Parent App by searching ‘Sentral for Parents’ in the App Store on your smart phone and ensure that notifications are enabled within the App. Set up instructions can be found here. If you have any trouble registering please email the College on sentral@bcc.nsw.edu.au. 

Edstart

Belmont Christian College offers several payment options for fees, details are available on our website here. We are pleased to now also offer ‘Edstart’ as another payment option to provide flexible payment plans that 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.

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 and Pricelist

Please click below to view the uniform requirements and current pricelist.

Uniform Shop Hours

Uniform Fitting Appointments

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.

~ 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.

Primary NSW CSSA Athletics

Last Friday, 19 students represented Belmont Christian College in the NSW CSSA Athletics Carnival, at Sydney Olympic Park.

After winning the Zone competition, the Belmont team led the Hunter Zone to 2nd place in the state with some fantastic performances.

Six students will go on to compete in the NSW CIS carnival in Week 9.

Kari Croxford was runner up Age Champion in the 11yr girls, winning the 100m, Long Jump and 200m events.

Jordan Bell added an incredible 9cm to his 12yr High Jump Personal Best to finish 2nd and will also compete in Discus after finishing 3rd.

Holly Blowes continues her good sprinting form, winning the 12yr Girls 200m. Eva Proctor will also go on to CIS, finishing 3rd in the 12yr Girls Shot Put.

Our dominant Senior Girls 4x100m relay team (Jasmine Mole, Holly Blowes, Charlotte Campbell, Kari Croxford) were not far off the state record, comfortably winning the event in a new best time of 58.75, taking nearly a full second off their record breaking Zone time.

Sadly, our Junior Boys missed a CIS spot by just 0.19 of a second, finishing 4th overall.

There were many students who also placed in the top six, with most events having 20-30 competitors.

Congratulations to all of our team who competed on the day!

Primary AFL Paul Kelly Cup State Final

On Monday, 15 girls ventured to Giants Stadium in Homebush to play in the AFL Paul Kelly Cup State Final. The girls were representing all of the Hunter Region and were over the moon with the opportunity to play games in an AFL stadium. 

A few shoes got kicked off just so they could feel how soft the grass was under their feet. 

As expected from the state’s best 12 teams, the games were tough. The girls played a tough and physical Griffith East Public School team, with a halftime score of just 1-2. Unfortunately after some pinpoint kicking from Griffith, they pulled away to finish 16-1. 

Mimosa Public School were the opponents in Round 2, and they faced the deadly accuracy of Georgia Hofman as she kicked 4 goals to help record a 14-32 victory for Belmont.

With finals on their mind the girls brought everything together to win their 3rd game 25-1 against Holy Family, Kelso and to qualify for the semi-finals

Belmont controversially met Griffith East again in the finals, and definitely had them worried after an early 0-5 lead to Belmont. Unfortunately the girls kicking again was the difference as Griffith finished on top 26-11 when the siren sounded. 

A fantastic effort to finish equal 3rd in NSW in the All Schools competition.

Thank you so much to the girls for giving up numerous lunchtimes, working hard and challenging themselves. You have been a delight to coach!

Mr Pearson

Primary NSW CSSA Oztag

Our Zone Champion Oztag teams travelled to St Marys in Sydney last week to compete in the NSW CSSA Mixed Oztag competition.

Our Boys and Girls teams were split and merged to form two Belmont teams.

The teams performed very well in a large 20 team competition. One of our sides made it through to the semi-finals to finish equal 3rd in competition.

Well done to our sides for their great attitudes on the field and quality football performance. 

Primary Zone AFL

This week our Primary Boys and Girls teams merged to form two mixed teams in the Hunter Zone AFL Gala Day, hosted here at the College.

Unfortunately this year, we were unable to hold our regular AFL Champions League competition schools sent their best teams to the day.

Belmont had 2 teams in the competition and both played some great games. Our Red team which contained a number of Year 5 students narrowly missed a Grand Final spot and went down to Taree to finish 4th in their final playoff game.

Our Blue team dominated the day, finishing undefeated on the ladder with 5 very comfortable wins. They were given a bit of a scare early on in the Grand Final against Wyong, holding a small lead 13-6 at the break. It all clicked in the 2nd half though as the team found their rhythm, regaining their confidence and going on to win convincingly, 59-6 .

Congratulations to both teams, and particularly our girls who were playing their 2nd competition in as many days after being in the NSW Paul Kelly Cup Finals the day before! A big effort and a few sore bodies afterwards!

Thank you to our Yr 11 VET Sports Coaching class who assisted with the running of the day and coaching the teams.

Aerobics Nationals

Belmont was represented by 15 students at the Aerobics (FISAF) National Championships last weekend in Brisbane.

Three teams and one individual competed at the top level of Aerobics in Australia. With the live event being cancelled over the last 2 years, it was a fantastic opportunity for these girls on the big stage, after qualifying through the NSW titles earlier in the year.

Abigail Kidd finished a very credible 5th overall in her individual event. Our teams, Unbreakable (7th place), Firecrackers (7th place) and Superstars (8th place) performed very well and were a credit to the College!

Aerobics will be back next year for anyone wishing to be involved. The teams train twice per week at lunchtimes and the coaches are always looking for new recruits. Students can be as young as Kindergarten and Secondary students can also be involved. Contact Mr Robins for further information.

Unbreakable – Ruby Henderson, Lillian Stewart, Abigail Farthing, Isabella Maiden, Tenley Connors

Superstars – Lillian Topliss, Cheyenne Lafferre, Grace Swanson, Charity Fackler, Hallie Martin, Olive King, Eva Myers

Firecrackers – Matilda Proctor, Abigail Farthing, Miriam Meier

Secondary Mixed Oztag Gala Day

Last Monday four teams travelled down to Gosford to compete in a mixed Oztag competition. BCC were hard to beat across all divisions on the day.

U15 Division 1 and 2 performed very well and made it to the finals and were runners up.

Opens Division 1 were undefeated all day, winning their grand final in extra time. Division 2 also won their grand final! Congratulations to our Open Teams for their outstanding teamwork that helped take out the wins.

All students represented the College brilliantly.

For further information on any of the events below please contact our Careers Advisor, Mrs Susan Carter on careers@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

MedEntry Information Session

MedEntry UCAT Prep Free UCAT Bootcamp is for aspiring Medical students and their parents. Dr Ray, Gastroenterologist at Monash Health offers UCAT mini test, discusses medical interviews, admission process, life as a medical student, and career as a doctor. You are able to watch this two hour Bootcamp from the comfort of your home at any time! https://www.medentry.edu.au/resources/free-resources

Construction Carpentry Apprenticeship

Construction Project Management Internship

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/

40th Birthday Celebrations Merchandise

As part of our recent 40th Birthday celebrations there is an opportunity for our BCC community 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. Many families have purchased a remembrance brick already. Some have decided to purchase multiple bricks to represent each of their children. Others have 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, please contact Fiona Burgess – fiona.burgess@bcc.nsw.edu.au

We also have our BCC 40th birthday commemorative booklet available for purchase as well. 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

Winter to Summer Uniform Change-Over Period

As we enter Spring, the last two weeks of term are a change-over period from Winter to Summer uniform across the College. Students may choose to wear either their Winter or Summer uniform from Monday, 12th September. However, it must be one or the other and not a combination of both.

Students are to be in full Summer uniform from the first day of Term 4.

Please refer to our website for further uniform information.

Primary School Musical – Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits

We are very proud of the highly successful Years 3 – 6 Primary Musical, Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits. Whilst the show was funny, energetic and smooth, we are most proud of the deep learning that took place, love and care that students showed toward one another, and the calm atmosphere that was cultivated throughout the week.

Thank you God, for the opportunities to express ourselves, have fun and be a part of a loving community.

To celebrate our show, we share with you a video of the production. Please click below. We hope that you may be able to share the experience again with all students involved, family and friends.

Year 11 Drama Production – Clue

What a brilliant day of drama, collaboration, and intrigue. On Monday, our Year 11 Drama class performed the hilarious farce-meets-murder-mystery, ‘Clue’. For anyone who was lucky enough to see the performances, they will know the incredible skill that was on display; but we want to take the opportunity to honour the outstanding learning that happened behind the scenes.

Every aspect of the production was student-led, from sound design to direction. Here’s how each class member contributed:

Directors – Emma Cashion & Heber Masseque created a director’s vision that fueled the design of the show. They led each rehearsal and advised cast members on how to deliver their lines, where to stand, and what the the main objective was for each scene.

Stage Manager – Jack O’Toole created and communicated the rehearsal schedule to the cast members. He was in charge of keeping track of actors’ attendance and communicated what needed to be accomplished each lesson. Jack’s role required him to liaise with all of the designers to ensure their work supported the directors’ artistic vision.

Costume Designers – Issy Hansen, Sophia Hart & Jacqui Wilson were in charge of analysing each character, researching the plays genre and setting as well as designing, creating and sourcing all costumes, taking into account colour and fabric choice.

Prop Designers – Ben Blackler and Sean Pilgrim created and sourced all props required for this production. This required them to analyse the script, manage their time and budget, and create all props to support the directors’ vision.

Sound and Music – Hugh Brindley designed an immersive sound and music score for the production to create an atmosphere for each scene.

Marketing Manager – Owen Irvine was in charge of advertising and graphic design for the production. He drew down on his impressive photography and design skills to help build excitement for the performances.

Huge thanks to Mrs Naomi Stewart who set the framework for this collaborative effort by the Year 11 Drama class. It’s inspiring to see two terms worth of deep learning culminate in such impressive performances. Well done!

HSC Showcase

Our Technological and Applied Studies and Creative Arts departments showcased the major projects from our Year 12  HSC students on Tuesday. Students were represented from Industrial Technology (Timber), Music 1, Software Development and Design and Visual Arts.

Our students have reached a high level of work and were proud to share their creations and performances with a supportive audience of family and friends. 

Thanks to Mrs Quick and our Year 11 Hospitality students for providing the delicious light refreshments on the night.

Congratulations to our wonderful Year 12 students. We pray for God to sustain you and give you strength as you complete your final year of school.