Newsletter

This morning I overheard a colleague burst forth in song – Jesus you’re my Superhero – and it caused me to think about how much joy there is working in a Christian College. Indeed, as we are fast approaching Easter, we do celebrate Jesus as our superhero, and I am glad that, as a community, we can still have this time to remember the true meaning of Easter.

We have had a great start to 2023 with so many beautiful things we can already celebrate, individually and corporately. I think of our fantastic swimming carnivals, cross country day, and the inaugural Live At the Colliery music event. These events showcase the different God-given talents our students are developing.

In our final week of this term our new Secondary camps program will further develop the interests of our students with ten different options run by passionate teachers in the area of their interest. There will be many hundreds of happy stories coming home from these camps.

As we celebrate Easter this year, remember that Jesus is our Superhero. If you are not a regular at a local church, this would be the perfect time to find one and hear the Easter story, and if you are a regular, how about inviting a friend along with you.

Bill Truscott

Business Manager

BCC Prayer Warriors

This year we are privileged to be able to run a monthly prayer morning. It’s a treat to pray for new families, students and staff, share some coffee and cake and enjoy great conversation. Everyone is welcome to join us on the first Monday of each month from 8:45am – 9:30am to pray alongside parents and local churches. Come for a bit, or come for the whole time. 

Please sign-in at the College Office. We meet near the Weathershed in the newly created College Garden. Simply follow the signs. 

For more information or to ask for personal prayer, please email prayerwarriors@bcc.nsw.edu.au.

Check out the prayer focus areas and upcoming dates in the image below. 

Prayer Points

1. Camps for safety, fun and new friendships, or the deepening of friendships.

2. Easter holidays- protection, safety, and an understanding of Easter and the significance of Jesus dying on the cross and rising again.

Upcoming Important Dates

Primary

26.04.23 | Primary School Assembly
01.05.23 | Primary School Assembly
03.05.23 | Primary School Assembly
04.05.23 | Primary Zone AFL
11.05.23 | Prumary Athletics Carnival

Secondary

26.04.23 | Secondary School Assembly
01.05.23 | Secondary Musical Teaser Night
03.05.23 | Secondary School Assembly
11.05.23 | Secondary CSSA Open Volleyball Gala Day

Whole College

07.04.23 – 25.04.23 | School Holidays
25.04.23 | ANZAC day march
26.04.23 | Playgroup
01.05.23 | Parents & Carers Prayer Morning
04.05.23 | Playgroup
10.05.23 | Mothers Day Stall
12.05.23 | Mothers Day Breakfast

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 and/or email.

Mother’s Day Breakfasts are a special event, and this year we will be putting on a special treat for our Kindergarten mums. This should allow our mums in the BCC community a chance to enjoy a delicious breakfast with their children and also provide an opportunity for us to gather together and celebrate.

This special breakfast will be filled with beautiful and delicious morsels that will make our Kinder Mums’ special day unforgettable. The morning will also be a time to pray together, thank our mums and celebrate the special bond between mothers and children. It will be a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as one family in appreciation of all that our mums do for us. So make sure not to miss out on this amazing event!

We invite you to save the date and join us between 7:30 am and 8:30 am on Friday 12th May 2023 for a Mother’s Day Breakfast like no other. It will be an event that mums, children and students alike will remember for many years to come. More details are to follow, so stay tuned!

We are pleased to have many new staff that have recently joined us here at the College. Over the term you will have the opportunity to learn more about them in our Newsletter.

You may also like to read the Our People page on the College website to find out a little more about all of our staff.

Introducing…

Mrs Reyanne McLean – Learning Enrichment Aide

Tell us about your photo.
I love walking and Swimming in the ocean.

What church do you attend?
The Lakes Evangelical Church at Tuggerah

What church ministries excite you?
I get such enjoyment teaching Early Stage One and Stage One children about Jesus and their enthusiasm is second to none. I also enjoy helping out with admin tasks in the Church Office when I’m required.

What makes you look forward to working at BCC?
The awesome Learning Enrichment team I work in, and assisting the teachers and students in class to achieve their goals.

Mr Simon Brown – Marketing & Content Manager

Tell us about your photo.
I love playing drums and always keeping it groovy and heavy.

What church do you attend?
Grace Evangelical

What church ministries excite you?
Music and Multimedia

What makes you look forward to working at BCC?
The culture amongst the students of supporting and lifting each other up. It’s amazing to get to see young people show such kindness to each other.

Mrs Suzie Chesterfield – Learning Enrichment Aide

Tell us about your photo.
I love being active and adventurous: bike riding, skiing, bush walking, swimming, sky diving (only twice) and travelling.

What church do you attend?
Charlestown Presbyterian Church

What church ministries excite you?
I love seeing people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and grow in their love for him. I love leading people through a course such as Christianity Explored and meeting with them to read the Bible to encourage them to keep growing in their faith.

What makes you look forward to working at BCC?
Being part of a great Christian community that seeks to grow kids up into Christ.

As a College, we strive to ensure every student has the best possible experience every day.  We take a whole school approach to teaching and learning and wellbeing, ensuring Christ-centred values are integrated with quality education.

It can be intriguing for many parents to have a peek into the day of their children while they are busy at school knowing they are loved, cared for and learning. Typically, a day in the life of a Primary school student at Belmont Christian College is filled with an array of fun-filled, stimulating activities. Christ-centred learning is at the heart of the day, creating a warm and nurturing environment for our students to learn, grow and play.  Specifically, during the foundational stages of learning, it is critical that young minds are exposed to a wide range of activities to broaden their understanding and knowledge.

At Belmont Christian College, our daily curriculum ensures students are supported through their development in all aspects. Our highly qualified teachers facilitate lessons that promote strong academic potential as well as social, emotional, physical, spiritual and character development which is essential for a well-rounded education.

From 8:40am until 2:50pm each day, students participate in their school day. The day begins with an assembly on three mornings – which comprises Christian songs and worship, special announcements, devotion and prayer. Following this, we have core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science. From Rise Up (held every second Thursday) , STEM activities, outdoor play and Creative Arts projects the day is full of opportunities that engage and motivate our students. We also provide wellbeing/pastoral care and learning enrichment opportunities to ensure individual needs are met. Classes such as Bible Studies (Connect), Music, Dance and Drama, Visual Arts, Physical Education, History, Geography and Library, including Information Technology take place. During these lessons, students learn to think critically and collaborate with each other. 

The day also includes recess and lunchtime. This provides an opportunity for students to enjoy a break before continuing with their day.  During this, fun and joy can be seen on the faces of our fresh-faced children!

We also enjoy excursions, which we believe help to expand the children’s knowledge. This may be a trip to the Zoo or a visit to local sites such as the Reptile Park or Blackbutt Reserve. We value these experiences as we understand that it is important for students to have exposure to different learning spaces in order for them to be inspired.

We are privileged to have many parent helpers who volunteer their time to support our teachers and students. We love our parent helpers as we know that without them we could not offer such a wide range of experiences for our children.

At the end of the day, we say goodbye with a smile knowing we have been blessed, we have learnt, grown and played in a safe and loving environment. Our students are thankful for their day, and we look forward to seeing them back the next day.

At Belmont Christian College, we believe every student is special and strive to provide a meaningful learning experience.  What a blessing it is, and let us continually be reminded:

`Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.‘ –

Proverbs 22:6.

Download the Sentral Parent App today!

For all major announcements regarding College Life, student reports & absences, calendar access, newsletters, excursion permissions, fee payments and much more, the College uses the Sentral Parent App. If you have not already, please download the Sentral Parent App by searching ‘Sentral for Parents’ in the App Store on your smartphone 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 and our friendly IT department will support you through the process.

Primary Music Ensembles

At BCC, we provide many avenues for students to grow in musical ability and appreciation. 

We are so excited for next term to finally introduce the College to this years’ Musical. Secondary Students have been hard at work behind the scenes preparing and the first preview will be held at the Teaser night. Info below!

Music Tutors

You may also like to see the details for our wonderful Music tutors here. This includes our new guitar and bass tutor who is excited to take on new students. We have a wonderful tutoring team ready to teach your child one of the following instruments:

• Vocals
• Piano
• Guitar/Bass
• Clarinet/Saxophone
• Flute
• Violin
• Drums/Percussion
• Brass- Trumpet, Trombone

CSSA NSSA NSW Selection

Congratulations to Nicholas Emanuel for being selected to represent CSSA NSW in the Open Boys Football Team.

School X Country Carnival

After an afternoon and evening of heavy rain, we were greeted with a beautiful blue sky and awesome conditions for running the annual School X Country Carnival. God is good! After 3 years of no carnival due to COVID and La Nina we were finally able to enjoy the morning out of the College down at Thomas H Halton Park Croudace Bay. The students ran or walked the course amazingly, with many age groups hotly contested. All students who attended should be congratulated for the manner in which they conducted themselves with members of the public complimenting behaviour and enthusiasm.

Congratulations to House and Age Champions.

Secondary Results

School Cross Country Carnival

House Results

Age Champions

Primary Results

House Results

Age Champions

NSW CIS SWIMMING

15 students represented our College and NSW CSSA at the NSW CIS Swimming Championships last week.

Once again our swimmers performed strongly at what is a very strongly contested carnival.

Blair Gillon made the finals in his 11yr Backstroke and Butterfly, finishing 7th and 8th respectively. The Junior Boys 4x50m relay (Zirk Lombard, Ashton Millett, Bexley Paterson, Alfie Taylor) took 2 seconds off their CSSA time and 5 seconds off their Zone time to make the final where they finished 9th.

Isabella Maiden (12yr 50m Backstroke) and Esther Jenkins (8yr 50m Freestyle) both missed out on finals spots agonisingly by less than 0.2 seconds in fields of 30 swimmers.

After dominating the CSSA Carnival, Skylar Moore swam very similar times to that event, but found herself in a very strong age group of swimmers for her 4 events, finishing in the top 16 in 2 of her events.

Congratulations to all swimmers who have represented our College so well, as our swimming carnival season comes to an end.

HSC and Careers Expo 2023

Thursday 1st – Saturday 3rd June 2023, 9:00am – 3:00pm

Are you the parent of an HSC student who is uncertain about their future path? Help them make an informed choice by bringing them along to the HSC and Careers Expo 2023, Thursday 1st June, Friday 2nd June and Saturday 3rd June, 9am-3pm at Royal Randwick Racecourse. For more information, please see the Twitter, Facebook or Instagram – or visit the website: https://www.hscandcareers.com.au/

What do you do if you catch your child vaping?

Here’s a really helpful podcast on vaping for parents and carers with some helpful tips on how to respond. Check out this link from the ABC.

With more and more kids getting into vaping – even in Primary school – what can you do if your tween or teen is busted with a vape? And should you talk to younger kids about vaping?

Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia joins parenting author Maggie Dent to talk about the risks of vaping and why a growing number of kids are doing it. Plus, what to do if your child gets hooked on these addictive, lolly-flavoured devices and how parents can help them quit. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs please consult a professional. 

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 Shop closed during April School Holidays

The uniform shop will be closed during the April School Holidays. Any online orders will need to be placed first week of the holidays to allow for postage in the second week if needed before school returns in Term 2.

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.

Our Coins for Compassion day in 2022 raised an amazing $10650. Coins for Compassion day is now an important part of the culture at Belmont Christian College as we teach our students the importance of missions and looking out for those less fortunate than ourselves. Our student body, from the youngest to the oldest embrace the day, bring in their coins and enjoy the fun and community on the last day of Term 2.

Last year we raised funds to continue sponsoring our five Compassion children but we were also aiming to raise enough money to open a brand new Compassion project in the Philippines.  We were delighted to receive news from Compassion that a centre opened in October which was fully funded by Belmont Christian College.  Shalom Child Development Centre will give up to 100 children access to education, healthcare, nutrition and spiritual oversight enabling them to potentially break the cycle of poverty that exists within their families.

What an amazing achievement by our students to impact the lives of so many children in need in another country.  We look forward to Coins for Compassion Day on the last day of Term 2 this year and are grateful for the opportunities that this day brings us as a College.

Mathseeds

Mathseeds is a comprehensive online Mathematics program for children aged 3-9. It offers a huge range of carefully structured lessons and activities that build mathematical skills over a broad range of number, shape and measurement topics. The Mathseeds program is packed full of enjoyable child-focused activities that makes learning a rewarding and meaningful experience. It teaches fundamental concepts in a fun, motivating and engaging way, whilst rewarding children for their efforts.

The benefits of Mathseeds include:

~ A wide variety of lessons and activities that have been created by educational experts. Each lesson is carefully structured to build early mathematical skills.
~ Once a lesson is complete, it can be repeated as many times as needed.
~ Mathseeds provides parents with a simple “dashboard” to show each child’s mathematical progress.
~ Children can progress at their own level.
~ Each child can create their own avatar/online character.
~ Golden Acorns rewards can be used to add items to the child’s online treehouse or avatar.
~ Children love collecting the Pets – a new pet hatches at the end of every lesson.
~ Children receive a certificate after successfully completing the quiz at the end of every map.

If you would like extra information please refer to the website at https://mathseeds.com.au/?_ga=2.131044809.739665369.1583202549-294607997.1583202549.

Registration and payments can be made by contacting Mrs Deborah Paardekooper at the College Office. A yearly subscription is available at a discounted price of $30.

Reading Eggs

Learning to read is one of the most important skills children can learn. ABC Reading Eggs makes the learning to read journey fun, interactive, and highly rewarding for ages 2-13. ABC Reading Eggs were created by a highly experienced team of Australian Primary school teachers, writers and developers to help children become fluent and proficient readers. The multi-award winning early learning resource supports your child’s learning to read journey with carefully designed online reading games and activities that are easy to follow, self-paced, and highly engaging for young learners.

~ The lessons use colourful animation, fun characters, songs, and rewards to keep children motivated.
~ The program is completely interactive to keep children on task.
~ When children start the program, they can complete a placement quiz to ensure they are starting at the correct reading level.
~ Parents can access detailed progress reports as well as hundreds of full-colour downloadable activity sheets that correspond with the lessons in the program.
~ The program includes over 2000 online books for kids – each ending with a comprehension quiz that assesses your child’s understanding.

If you would like extra information please refer to the website at https://readingeggs.com.au/.

Registration and payments can be made by contacting Mrs Deborah Paardekooper at the College Office on 4922 8311 or deb.paardekooper@bcc.nsw.edu.au. A yearly subscription is available at a discounted price of $30.

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.