Newsletter

Many years back, I sat with my recently retired father and my young daughter as she interviewed him for a school assignment investigating family history. I still remember my dad’s words when asked “what do you want to be remembered by?”. His reply has stuck with me; “to know I have made a difference to people”.  

In subsequent years, I have contemplated the concept of legacy. What do we leave when we are gone?

Last year I embraced the legacy of my daughter when she left us for her Heavenly home. A library was established in a school in Cambodia as a permanent reminder of her heart for children. This place allows children the opportunity to learn to read in a beautiful space created to honour her legacy.

Our Year 12 students have just completed their HSC exams. This capstone in their 13-year school journey undoubtedly leaves in their hearts a memory of growing up into Christ and the opportunity to create their legacy.

As this year ends, we also celebrate several long-term teachers – Mr Tidey, Mrs Quick, Mrs Collyer, and Miss Melcum – who have served more than a century in quality Christian education, gently leading children to Christ. The lives they have impacted and the difference they have made is incalculable on this side of Eternity. Their legacy will live on in the thousands of student lives they have nurtured.

My challenge to each of us is to make a difference and be intentional about leaving an enduring legacy of eternal worth.  

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 on the Pleasance as we commit the College and our community to God in prayer.

Our Term 4 dates are:
Monday, 28th November

Please sign-in at the College Office.

For more information please email prayerwarriors@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Everyone is welcome to join in. We look forward to growing our Prayer Warriors group throughout the year. 

Praise Points

~ Early offers to University for multiple Year 12 students
~ God’s provision for staff for 2023
~ New students and families coming to the College

Prayer Points

~ Direction and future plans for Year 12 students who have just completed their schooling
~ Good health and wellbeing for the BCC community. Particularly for those in our community who are unwell and struggling with health issues
~ New staff and families coming to the College in 2023
~ Staff recruitment for 2023
~ End of year activities in both Primary and Secondary school
~ Students studying for exams and assessments
~ Finishing the year well, only 1 month until Christmas holidays
~ 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

18.11.22 | Beginners Orientation
21 & 22.11.22 | Surf School (Years 5 & 6)
21.11.22 | NSW CSSA Basketball (Years 3/4)
24.11.22 | Years 1-6 2023 Orientation Day
25.11.22 | PSSA Rugby League Gala Day
29.11.22 | Home Reader Presentation
30.11.22 | Year 6 Graduation
02.12.22 | Primary Leaders Breakfast
06.12.22 | Beginners Graduation

Secondary

18.11.22 | Water Polo Gala Day
23.11.22 | Year 7 2023 Parent and Student Information Evening / Meet and Greet
21 – 25.11.22 | Work Experience (Year 10)
22.11.22 | Year 12 Formal
25.11.22 | Super 8s Cricket Gala Day
28 – 29.12.22 | Readiness Camp (Year 10)
01.12.22 | Year 10 Last Day Fun Day
01.12.22 | CBD Excursion (Year 9)

Whole College

18.11.22 | Parent Connect
03.12.22 | BCC Charity Golf Day
07.12.22 | Primary and Secondary BCC Annual Festival – A Celebration of Learning and Community (onsite event)
08.12.22 | Term 4 Last Day Fun Day
30.01.23 | First Day Term 1 (Beginners, Years 1-7, 11 & 12)
31.01.23 | First Day Term 1 (Years 8-10)
01.02.23 | First Day Term 1 (Kindergarten)

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 Sentral Parent App, Skoolbag App and/or email.

Year 7 2023 Information Night and Orientation Day

The dates for our Year 7 Orientation 2023 schedule are as follows:

• Wednesday, 23rd November – 6.00pm – Parents and Students Information Evening / Meet and Greet. RSVP here

• Monday, 30th January – Orientation Day morning

Check your nominated email for further information.

The BCC Annual Charity Golf Day is back, and you are invited to attend. All the details, how to register, how to sponsor, and some information about our new charity partner, Belmont Community Care, can be found here.

Some people with local businesses are even using this day as a way to bless their staff as a Christmas Party event.  We look forward to teeing off with you soon.

A Celebration of Learning & Community

On Wednesday, 7th December we will be holding our inaugural BCC Festival – A Celebration of Learning & Community. This is an onsite event. Our Annual Student Awards will be happening as part of this event. 

Download the Sentral Parent App

The College now uses the Sentral Parent Portal as our main means of communication with parents/carers. From 2023 all BCC families will use the Sentral Parent App for communication between the College and home, ensuring everything you need to know about your child’s education journey is all in one place. Therefore from 2023 we will no longer be using the Skoolbag App. (Note: The SeeSaw App will continue to be used for lower Primary learning updates).

The Sentral Parent App is a convenient product that allows parents/carers to:

• Book Parent-Teacher Interviews
• Receive Student Academic Reports
• View Student Timetables
• View Wellbeing Information
• Pay Tuition Fees 
• Submit Student Absences
• View the College Newsletter
• Respond to Activity/Excursion Permissions

Please 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.

So to ensure that you are kept up-to-date with College communications please 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. 

CSSA Cricket

Our College Primary Cricket team played in their Round Robin stage of the NSW CSSA Knockout Cricket competition last week at Singleton.

With half of the team playing an official match for the first time, it was always going to be a challenge to get a result, but our BCC XI played well and took both games down to the wire. The loss of opening bowler and batsman Jordan Bell the night before the games due to injury took a big toll on the side, with our batting depth set to be tested.

Both games saw captain Henry Batchelor lead by example, having to retire when he hit 30 runs, a revised rule that likely cost us victory in both.

Our bowlers also performed well with 6 different wicket takers, including 3 to Isaac King and an impressive 2/1 in 1 over to Makenzie Keast.

A close 7 run loss in Game 1 and a 4 wicket loss with 11 balls to play in the 15 over format.

Green Point 4/83 (I.King 2/13, C. Hayward 1/22) def Belmont 5/76 (Henry Batchelor 30no, C. Hayward 10)

Belmont 7/55 (Henry Batchelor 32no, I. King 6) lost to Carinya 6/65 (M. Keast 2/1, Henry Batchelor 1/7, M. Hallin 1/7)

CSSA Table Tennis

A new competition has commenced for CSSA with the arrival of Table Tennis.

Belmont sent 1 team (2 players) down to Homebush to compete with the two competing in the Open Boys Primary competition.

The boys had a fantastic day, winning all of their matches through to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by the eventual winners of the day.

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

University of Newcastle Law School | Law Insights Evening

The University of Newcastle Law School invites class of 2023 Year 12 students, teachers and parents to attend our FREE Law Insights evening on Wednesday, 23rd November at 5-7pm.

The evening is an invaluable experience, allowing students to hear firsthand about the Law degree on offer at the University of Newcastle. 

Students will be able to hear from, and speak with, academic staff and current students from the Law School. Students will also learn about our Legal Centre.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to ask any questions they might have about the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) program. 

Newcastle Parents and Carers Info Session

University of Newcastle, Q Building will be holding an Information Session for parents/carers on Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 6pm – 7:30pm.

6pm – 7pm                        Formal information session and Q&A panel
7pm – 7:30pm                   Expo and one-on-one assistance

Newcastle University NUPrep courses for senior students

NUPrep courses are free taster courses that are now available. Suitable for Year 11 students transitioning to Year 12 this term to help them prepare not only for University but also for their final years of High School.

Courses start on 5th December 2022, are face-to-face and available in Newcastle and Ourimbah.

Courses available are listed and linked below.

Students can enrol simply by emailing enabling@newcastle.edu.au

• EPPREP760 Academic Survival Skills
• EPPREP780 Foundation Mathematics
• EPPREP790 Foundation Chemistry
• EPPREP800 Writing for University
• EPPREP820 Grammar for Linguistics
• EPPREP900 Foundation Physics
• EPPREP950 Surviving Statistics for Tertiary Studies
• EPPREP960 Introduction to Human Biology

For more info, visit https://www.newcastle.edu.au/study/pathways/nuprep/nuprep-short-courses

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/

Remembrance Day

On Friday, 11th November at 11am the Primary and Secondary Schools joined together in a commerative assembly to honour those who volunteered served, fought and died, for our freedom. We thank them and we will remember them.

Our prayer: Our Lord, on this day of Remembrance we bow our heads in gratitude for the wonderful land in which we live, a land that knows peace and safety, and for that we are thankful. Today we want to remember the courageous men and women who gave their lives in wartime and as a result of war, and we thank you for their courage, perseverance and commitment. As we remember the lives that have been lost, we pray that we would all work for the freedom of all those who are oppressed in the world today. We pray today as a school community that we might see peace rule over all conflict, that Your peace might calm our fears, bring justice to all and establish accord among the nations, through the name of Jesus who taught us how to live. Amen.

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

Depression Support Group

One of our BCC parents heads up a small network of Depression support groups, associated with local churches and open to anyone in the community struggling with Depression. If you or anyone you know might benefit from the connection and support of one of these groups, please get in touch.

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.