Newsletter

As we embark on another exciting year at Belmont Christian College, I am thankful. We extend a warm welcome to our new teachers in Primary: Mr Elijah Roussos, Mrs Sarah Pearson, and Mrs Kylie Newland.

It’s a testament to God’s perfect timing that these teachers, blessed with unique skills and a passion for education, join our school community as we begin a new chapter. We believe that God brings the right people into our lives at the right time, and we are confident that Mr. Roussos, Mrs. Pearson, and Mrs. Newland will play a pivotal role in nurturing and guiding our students as they enter the next season of their learning journey.

Taking on the role of Head of Primary this year has brought both excitement and a touch of the bittersweet. While I’m thrilled about my new responsibilities, leaving behind my beloved Primary Music classes after seven rewarding years hasn’t been easy.

For those who know me, my passion for music education, and for unlocking the joy of singing in every child, is no secret. It’s a gift with lifelong benefits, and one I’ve cherished nurturing. And so, I am so pleased to welcome Mrs. Kylie Newland as our new music teacher. Her enthusiasm for fostering a love of music and singing aligns perfectly with our school, and I know she will continue this work with dedication and passion.

It reminds me to look to God and trust in his plans, as the proverb says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). I am reassured again that God provides in his good timing.

Chris Stewart
Head of Primary

BCC Prayer Warriors

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:

Health for Staff: Pray for the health and wellbeing of every member of our staff. Strengthen their bodies, minds, and spirits, and protect them from illness and fatigue. Grant them the energy and vitality they need to fulfil their duties with excellence.

Treating Kids and Others with Kindness: Instill in us a spirit of kindness, compassion, and empathy towards all those we encounter within our school community. Help us to see each child, parent, and colleague through your eyes, and to extend grace and understanding in every interaction.

Finding a Counsellor: We recognise the importance of mental and emotional wellbeing in our school. We pray for wisdom and discernment in finding the right counsellor who can offer support, guidance, and healing to those in need. Lead us to the individual who will provide compassionate care and effective intervention.

Agile Strategic Planning: Grant us wisdom as we engage in strategic planning for the future of our school. Help us to adapt and innovate, to anticipate challenges and opportunities, and to make decisions that will lead to the growth and flourishing of our educational community. May our plans be aligned with your will and guided by your wisdom.

New Syllabus: We seek the Lord’s guidance as we develop and implement new syllabi for our students. Inspire us with creativity and insight as we design curriculum that will engage minds, inspire hearts, and empower students to reach their full potential. May our teaching reflect your truth and wisdom, guiding students towards knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

Upcoming Important Dates

Primary

14.03.24 | Year 2 Awabakal Excursion
19.03.24 | Kindergarten Pyjama Day

Secondary

08.03.24 | Year 10 Visual Arts Excursion
08.03.24 | Student Vaccinations
11.03.24 | Secondary Zone Touch Football Gala Day
11.03.24 | Year 11 Legal Studies Excursion
20.03.24 | Year 11 Visual Arts Excursion

Whole College

12.03.24 | Parent Connect
13.03.24 – 25.03.24 | NAPLAN Testing

SAVE THE DATE

08.05.24 | Mother’s Day Stall
10.05.24 | Kindergarten Mother’s Day Breakfast
03.12.24 | End of Year Festival

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.

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.

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…

Miss Angelique van Coller – Secondary Teacher

Tell us about your photo.
I have a great love for water. I enjoy visiting the beach as often as possible (even on rainy days), discovering new beaches, walking/running along Lake Macquarie and going on an adventure to waterfalls/rainforests. I love the ocean because it reminds me of how deep and endless God’s love for me is. Jesus is the living water that fills me so that I will never be thirsty. If water could be a love language, it would be mine.

What church do you attend?
Macquarie Life Church

What church ministries excite you?
Praise and worship, and serving by volunteering at events.

What makes you look forward to working at BCC?
Working at BCC is like working with family. The culture at BCC is incredibly welcoming and relational. Relationships make the difference on every level. Every student and staff member is valued at BCC.

Mr Kavan Hahn – Sports Administrative Assistant

Tell us about your photo.
I have been always been passionate about playing sport since I was a little child up until now. Although I enjoy playing almost anything, my two favourites are beach volleyball and tennis.

What church do you attend?
Grace Evangelical Church

What church ministries excite you?
I love children’s ministry because they are so eager to learn, but also they show me what uninhibited faith looks like.

What makes you look forward to working at BCC?
Working with fellow Christians who share the same passion for loving the students, and equipping them to thrive when they go out into the world as adults.

Mrs Miriam Haynes – Learning Enrichment Aide

Tell us about your photo.
I love to travel and I love making my own journals so this is my Travel Journal I made of our recent year-long trip around Australia with my family.

What church do you attend?
Macquarie Life Church

What church ministries excite you?
Any including art… kids art ministry, seniors art ministry, prop making for events and prophetic art sharing.

What makes you look forward to working at BCC?
Everyone is so kind and helpful! And they truly care about each child at the school.

In preparation for the upcoming Ronald McDonald House Charity Dinner (Friday, 8 September 2024), Primary School students from our Learning Enrichment Program are actively engaged in a range of purposeful activities this term. Under the guidance of Mrs Walters and her team, the students are meticulously gathering donations, organising a series of fundraising initiatives, and curating unique items for the charity auction. This year’s event follows the success of the inaugural dinner in 2023, where our students showcased grace and talent, hosting an evening filled with piano melodies, laughter, and a silent auction.

Reflecting on the previous year’s accomplishment, our wider BCC community raised over $11,300 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. We express our sincere appreciation to the generous donors who contributed to this achievement. As we approach this year’s event, we extend an invitation to additional donors to join those who are already supporting this noble cause.

We’d like to thank those who have already supported this years dinner by donating items for our silent auction or funds for Ronald McDonald House:

The little Garden (Jessica Lumley)
Maureen Bullock
LR Hair Dressing (Lea-anne Ribero)
Baker Love Lawyer
Skin and Laser (Amy Lennox)
Steve Walters

Thank you to these donors, your generosity will undoubtedly contribute to surpassing last year’s success, allowing us to make an even more substantial impact on the lives of those in need. Together, let us continue to provide vital assistance to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

To donate items for the silent auction please contact our student representative leilah.clarke@bcc.nsw.edu.au

Sponsorship of the event or donations to Ronald McDonald House can be made directly through our site here:

New Violin Tutor

We are welcoming a new Violin Tutor who is excited to join the BCC Tutoring team. Welcome to Miss Josephine Gallop – Josephine has played Violin for over a decade, learning the Suzuki method. She plays violin within various groups and ensembles and is excited to be joining the accomplished BCC Music Tutors this year.

You can book Josephine and our other music tutors for lessons on our website.

Exciting New Dance Classes! 

Get ready to groove and move, Secondary students! We’re thrilled to announce two fantastic dance classes starting next week, offering a fantastic experience for dancers of all styles and levels. Both classes will have performance opportunities at school with the Hip Hop troupe also working towards an external dance competition later in the year.

Dance Fusion for Year 7-8 Girls
Mondays, starting 4 March
3:00pm – 3:45pm Dance Room M Block

Join Miss Amity, a local dance instructor, for a dynamic dance journey covering a spectrum of styles! From contemporary to jazz, we will do it all. Unleash your creativity, build confidence, and make new friends. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to express yourself through dance. Performance opportunities await later in the year!

Hip Hop Troupe for Years 10-12 (Boys and Girls)
Mondays, starting 4 March 
3:45pm – 4:30pm  Dance Room M Block

Get ready to break it down with our exclusive Hip Hop Troupe! Perfect for students in years 10-12, this class will have you mastering the coolest hip hop moves. Join an energetic and supportive community and showcase your skills in exciting performances later in the year.

Cost: $10 per Class

Invoices will be sent out per term and will vary based on how many weeks classes were held. Low additional cost for costumes and performance fees may apply later in the year. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just starting, there’s a spot for you! Let’s spread the word. See you on the dance floor!

If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to email at:

amity.c.reeves@gmail.com

If you are unsure or want to just give it a go come along next Monday for a free taster class to see how you go.

Senior Music Excursion to Encore

This week our Senior Music students were treated to a symphony of exceptional performances when they attended ‘Encore’. Ascending on the iconic Opera House our students were inspired by the showcase of outstanding musicianship from past HSC students across NSW schools. The program illustrated not only great performances that were aimed to inspire, but showcased the range, variety, and challenges offered by the three HSC Music courses across styles, genres and musical periods. It featured solo and ensemble performances, vocal and instrumental works, ranging from classical to jazz and contemporary music. It is safe to say that our students were more than impressed, and are excited to begin their own HSC Music journey.

Year 10 Art Excursion

Year 10 Visual Arts embarked on an abstract adventure down to The Art Gallery of NSW where they were able to visit the Wassily Kandinsky exhibition. This was followed by a Learning Workshop where they were able to create their own paint from pigment and create a Kandinsky style art piece. An excellent complement to their unit on Abstraction this term!

Primary Zone Swimming Champions

Belmont Christian College has retained the Zone Swimming title for the 3rd consecutive year, winning the Hunter Zone Swimming Carnival.

On top of this, we have also retained the Challenge Cup for the 3rd straight year; a side competition dividing points by the number of students in the school.  

An outstanding achievement by our swimmers!

Our team of 31 swimmers gave their all at Newcastle University with some terrific times and personal best results.

16 of those swimmers will swim this week in the Olympic pool at Homebush as they take on Christian Schools from all over NSW in the CSSA Swimming Carnival.

Congratulations to the following students who were recognised in their respective Age Championship at the Zone Carnival.

Primary Regional AFL Selection

Congratulations to Molly Mawson who was selected in the All Schools Mid North Coast and Inland side this week.

Molly will travel to Albury in May to play in a competition against 5 other regions of NSW, which also acts as a selection trial for the NSW team.

College – Cross Country Carnival Information

Note change to previous years – Meeting at the Park – Drop off and Pick Up from the Croudace Bay Park

We will be holding our annual Cross Country Carnival for all students from Years 2 to 12 at Croudace Bay Park. 

This year it will be held on Tuesday, 19 March. Parents are encouraged to attend and support the day. As with our other carnivals, where possible, we ask that parents transport students to and from the Carnival. Students should be at Croudace Bay (near the basketball court/ tennis wall) at 9am. 

College buses will be running to and from the College for those who cannot make their own way to Croudace Bay Park.

Pick Up Time will be 12:30 – 1pm.

There will be supervision for students back at the College following the carnival if parents are unable to take their child home from the carnival.

We will be holding a BBQ cooked back at the College for any students returning to school who wish to order a sausage sandwich lunch. Information on how to order will be sent out shortly.

A permission note has already been sent home through the Sentral App and we ask that every family please take the time to complete and indicate on the note, whether they are providing their own transport or their child will need to utilise the buses provided.

If you have not yet registered an account with our Canteen’s ‘Munch Monitor’ you will need to use our School ID: belmontcc and Password: munch2280 to do so

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. 

Good for kids good for life

Setting up for HSC Success (Year 11 & 12) 

In 2024 we’re excited to be partnering with InspirationED to provide additional HSC support for Year 12 students. We invite Year 11 and 12 students and their families/carers to register and join us for our Setting up for HSC Success Webinar in March.

Embark on your HSC journey with confidence through our Strategies for HSC Success webinar, tailored for Year 11 and 12 students. Led by a Senior HSC Marker, this session delves into effective study techniques, exam hacks, and strategies for excelling in HSC assessment tasks. Whether you’re beginning your HSC preparations or seeking to enhance your performance, our webinar is your gateway to unlocking academic success with expert insights and practical advice.

Webinar details:

Setting up for HSC Success (Year 11 & 12)

Time: 7pm-8:30pm

Date: Wednesday, 27 March

Register now

UAC Information for Parents

University Admissions Centre (UAC) has a newsletter specifically for Year 12 parents to keep you informed about the application and university entry process. Please either subscribe by using the link below, or go to the ‘Parents’ page of the UAC website.

Subscribe to the UAC parent newsletter

UAC Digital

This year UAC will be running a number of LIVE webinars for Year 10 to 12 students and their parents. Dates and registrations will be released very soon. We will keep you up to date via our social media pages and the UAC Digital web page.

The first LIVE webinar will be aired on Wednesday, 27 March, at 6 pm; a session for parents with information about the application process and how to support their Year 12 student. This event will be live-streamed on Facebook and our webinar platform. Registration will open soon.

University of Sydney Central Coast Info Night

Discover the University of Sydney – Central Coast Info Night

Tuesday, 26 March: 6 – 7:30 pm
The Entertainment Grounds

Discover why the University of Sydney is the right place for you at our Information Night for year 10 to 12 students on Tuesday 26 March at The Entertainment Grounds.  

You’ll have the chance to speak with current students and alumni from the Central Coast who have undertaken a variety of degrees from across the University.   

Learn about admission requirements, entry schemes, pathways, fees, scholarships, financial assistance and support services from our expert staff and UAC representative.  

Year 10 students joining us will take part in a separate interactive session that aims to help link personal interests and skills with careers and courses and has a specific focus on selecting the right subjects for senior high school. 

Light refreshments will also be provided.  

Register now

Support a cause that’s meaningful to you by purchasing a Membership to The Entertainment App and receive a bonus extension of up to four months!

Purchase a 12 or 24 month Single City Membership and receive a bonus two months.

Purchase a 12 or 24 month Multi City Membership and receive a bonus four months.

20% of each Membership purchase will go directly to your chosen Fundraiser.

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.