Belmont Christian College
Term 3 Week 6
Newsletter
Term 3 Week 6
From our Head of Primary, Mr Chris Stewart
In today’s digital age, children are growing up surrounded by screens and internet-connected devices. While these technologies offer incredible opportunities for learning and exploration, they also present significant challenges.
From age-inappropriate content to the pervasive influence of social media, the online world can shape children’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours. With the right guidance and support, young people can develop the skills to navigate these challenges and become responsible, compassionate individuals.
It was a pleasure to welcome Dan Principe and his team to the College in Week 5. Dan held sessions with our Stage 3 students and boys in Stage 4 and 5. The girls in Stage 4 and 5 had sessions with Dan’s counterpart, Emma Tabacaru. The sessions used age-appropriate reflective tools and engaging discussions to explore topics such as friendship, respect, online safety, social media, and self-esteem.
The workshops aimed to challenge students to:
- Understand the impact of media and technology on their lives
- Think critically about harmful stereotypes and negative influences
- Cultivate positive relationships and values
- Make informed choices about their online behaviour
It takes courage to cultivate a culture of empathy and respect for others. At BCC we are committed heart, soul, mind and strength to having our students learn to love others. It’s in seeing clearly God’s good plan and purpose for the world that we build a community that flourishes with faith, hope and love.
Prayer and Praise
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 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:
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- Theme for prayer this month – “Family relationships”: We pray for the families within our College community, asking God to shape our families according to His will. May our families be places of love, support and spiritual growth, reflecting the values and purpose that God desires for us. We ask for God’s guidance in strengthening family relationships and nurturing environments where every member can thrive in faith and love.
- Roles that need to be filled – Secondary Science Teacher, Secondary English Teacher, College Psychologist, Director of People and Culture and Beginners Aide position: We pray for these roles to be filled with the right individuals. May God guide the selection process, bringing in professionals who are not only skilled but also passionate about supporting and nurturing our students. We ask for wisdom and discernment for those involved in the hiring process, trusting that God will provide the right people at the right time.
- Students Studying for the HSC: We lift up the students who are preparing for their HSC exams, especially as they receive their trial marks back. We pray for renewed motivation and focus, that they are inspired to put in the hard work necessary for their final exams. May God grant them clarity of mind, perseverance, and the ability to manage their time and stress effectively.
Prayer for HSC Students
It’s that time of year again when we ask people to volunteer to pray for the 2024 HSC students. Our goal is for each HSC student to have at least one person from the College community committing to pray for them each day from the beginning of Term 3 until when the HSC exams finish on 8 November. We are asking people to commit to praying for two specific HSC students, the names of whom we will provide to you.
Why start specific prayer in Term 3? Well, in Term 3 the HSC gets more real for the students as they have their HSC Trials in August, Major Works (Art and D&T) are due towards the end of August, and Drama and Music performances, along with Language Oral Exams in September. The HSC Exams start on 14 October.
As part of our wider community focus, we also ask that you please pray for the HSC students at Belmont High School. It can be a challenging time for so many young people.
If you are interested in committing to praying for two of our HSC students, please contact us via prayerwarriors@bcc.nsw.edu.au
Upcoming Important Dates
Primary
10.09.24 | Zone Oztag
18.09.24 | CSSA Mixed OzTag
23.09.24 – 24.09.24 | Yr4 Camp
24.09.24 | Yr5 Excursion to Wild Robot Movie
26.09.24 | Yr3 Tree Tops Excursion
Secondary
11.09.24 | Zone Oztag
16.09.24 | Yr11 Drama Production
16.09.24 | Yr 11 Business Studies SharkTank
24.09.24 | CIS Athletics Championship
27.09.24 | Yr12 Last Day – Luna Park
Whole College
12.09.24 | Primary Show
17.09.24 | Prefect and Student Leader Induction Ceremony
24.09.24 | Staff vs Student soccer match
26.09.24 | Yr12 Graduation assembly
30.09-24-13.10.24 | School Holidays
Save the Date
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.
Primary Show - 'Light'
Coming Soon!
We are excited to invite families to our upcoming Primary Show, “Light,” on Thursday, 12 September, during Week 7 of Term 3! This year, instead of a traditional musical, our students from Years 3 to 6 will be performing various acts that explore the theme of ‘Light,’ such as “Light of the World” and “My burden is light.”
The event will be held in the Hall, where each year group will present their item, and many students have also prepared individual and small group performances. The enthusiasm and talent displayed by our students have been remarkable, and their hard work has truly embodied the spirit of our theme.
We are incredibly proud of their dedication and creativity and look forward to celebrating their achievements with you. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement.
Thank you to our Sponsors
This is one of many wonderful sponsorship opportunities where we encourage our families to support the College and build our community through event sponsorship. What a great way to support our young ones while getting your brand in front of our whole community. Thanks to our Major Sponsor for the night Knight Frank Newcastle along with our sponsors Burgan Lawyers, Well Education and Freedom Living Australia.
Volunteers Needed for HSC Exams
We are seeking dedicated Christian volunteers to assist with this year’s HSC exams. Your role will involve sitting with students during their exams to provide support and ensure a smooth process. The exams will take place between October 15 and November 8, with specific dates to be confirmed soon. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our students’ experience during this crucial time. If you can spare a few hours, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please email learningenrichment@bcc.nsw.edu.au to express your interest.
BCC Business Directory
Our Parent’s Business Directory is available on the College website via the Community Hub. It is so great to see many BCC parents get on board with this initiative and share their business details with the wider BCC community.
If you are keen to join this Business Directory, which is exclusive to current BCC parents, please enter your business.
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.
Creative News
Spectacular Student Showcase: HSC Highlights
The showcase featured remarkable projects from Industrial Technology, Design and Technology, Software Design, Visual Arts, and Drama. Each display was a testament to the creativity and hard work of the students, leaving the audience in awe of the innovation and craftsmanship on display. From intricately designed technology projects to stunning visual art pieces, the exhibits were simply outstanding, showcasing the diverse skills cultivated by our students.
In addition to the impressive displays, the evening was brought to life with dynamic performances from our Drama and Music students. Their performances were captivating, filled with emotion and energy that kept the audience engaged from start to finish. Whether it was a dramatic monologue or a musical rendition, each act was executed with a level of professionalism that left a lasting impression.
The turnout was nothing short of amazing, with a large number of parents, teachers, and community members coming together to support our students. The atmosphere was electric, filled with pride and admiration for the exceptional work on display.
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the HSC Showcase a memorable event. Your support means the world to our students, who will surely carry this experience with them as they move forward in their academic and professional journeys.
Year 10 Art Excursion Life Drawing
Sport News
Primary NSW CSSA Athletics
26 students from BCC represented the Zone at the NSW CSSA Athletics Championships two weeks ago in Blacktown. Once again the performances from our students were outstanding with 10 students going on to qualify for NSW CIS Athletics.
By finishing in the top 3, Chloe Fitzgibbon, Darcy Gray, Zirk Lombard, Eva Myers, Macey Offerings, and Levi Wheatley will compete in 1 event on the day, whilst Ashton Millett (2 events), Mia Porter (5 events), Skye Porter (5 events) and Jade Reeves (6 events) will have a busy day ahead on Friday.
The Junior Girls relay continued our strong recent history in relays by winning the CSSA Junior Girls 4x100m.
We have a number individual of State Champions who won their event on the day. Chloe Fitzgibbon (12yr Long Jump), Ashton Millett (11yr Long Jump), Skye Porter (Jnr 800m) and Jade Reeves (Open Multiclass 800m) all finished on top in their events.
Congratulations also to Jade Reeves who was named Open Girls Multiclass Age Champion for her performances.
Hunter Zone finished the day in second place with Mia and Skye Porter tying for 2nd in their 10yr Age Championship.
Secondary NSW CSSA Athletics
The Secondary Athletics team headed to Homebush last Thursday. The day was very warm, testing our long distance athletes in particular.
Hunter Zone won the carnival!
12 individuals have qualified for the NSW CIS Carnival at the end of the term. Congratulations to Stephanie Allen, Archie Bell, Violet Burgum, Alexander Campbell, Charlotte Campbell, Kari Croxford, Mitchell Davies, Abigail Kidd, Michellie Robins, Victoria Robinson, Mya Terbeeke and Holly Blowes who have all qualified.
Well done to Violet Burgum who set a new record in the 14yr 1500m, with a time of 4:56.05, smashing the old mark by nearly 9 seconds.
Violet finished 2nd in the 14yr Age Champions, along with Mitchell Davies who finished 2nd in the 14yr Boys. Victoria Robinson finished 3rd in the Open Girls Multiclass, while Alexander Campbell was 5th overall in the 15yr Boys.
Well done to our Athletes on your efforts and helping Hunter Zone take the 2024 title.
PSSA Netball Umpires
Congratulations to Sophie Hill and Mackenzie Lennox who represented BCC and Newcastle Netball as umpires at the recent NSW PSSA Championships.
The girls, who are both aspiring umpires, were the youngest umpires at the tournament and received many compliments from coaches and parents with their professionalism and knowledge of the game.
Well done girls!
PSSA Rugby Union Representative
Elijah Morris travelled with the NSW CIS team to Wagga Wagga two weeks ago as a member of the Independent Schools State Rugby Union team.
PSSA team sports are made up from the ten Public School Zones across NSW, two Catholic Regions and CIS (Independent Schools).
Leading the team up front as a Prop forward, Elijah worked hard to keep his team on the front foot for the entire week. Just making this team is an outstanding achievement, especially given that the CIS team is made up of players from a lot of the big Sydney Rugby private schools. The team finished 3rd out of the 13 teams with Elijah coming home with a shiny Bronze medal.
Congratulations on your achievements, Elijah.
National Aerobics
Two of our Aerobics teams qualified for FISAF Nationals which were held last weekend on the Gold Coast. It’s been a long year of training for our girls, who have competed in Newcastle and Sydney before making the long trip north for this event after qualifying at the NSW titles a few months ago.
The ‘Superstars’ finished 10th in the Yr 1-2 Girls Pre-choreographed competition, while the ‘Backstreet Girlz’ competed in the Yr 5 category, finishing 12th overall.
Well done to our girls and their families for their commitment to Aerobics this year. Aerobics will be back in 2025 for anyone wanting to give the sport a try!
Primary Rugby League
Our Primary Open Rugby League team had a fantastic day in Cessnock last week. They started very strongly, playing with great energy and teamwork in their fist 2 games against Pacific Brook Christian School and Newcastle Grammar School. The team came away with wins in those games.
They faced a tough opponent from Manning Valley Anglican School in their final match, going down in a tight game.
Our team’s efforts were commendable and they played with true sportsmanship on the day. It was great to be able to play against other independent schools across the area that we don’t often get to play against.
Secondary Zone Girls Futsal Gala Day
On Tuesday 3 September, two girls teams travelled to Maitland to compete in the Zone Futsal Gala Day. The Under 15 girls team showcased impressive skill and teamwork, facing off against some highly competitive schools. With two wins and two losses, they advanced to the Semi-Finals but unfortunately fell short, finishing in 4th place.
Hunter Zone Basketball Gala Day Recap
Our Junior and Senior boys teams recently competed in the Hunter Zone Basketball Gala Day, showcasing incredible talent and sportsmanship. The Junior Boys displayed remarkable skill, finishing a commendable fourth in Division 1. Their teamwork and dedication were evident throughout the day. Meanwhile, the Senior Boys demonstrated exceptional athleticism and basketball prowess, narrowly missing the semi finals. Their performance was outstanding, reflecting their hard work and passion for the sport. Both teams represented our College with pride, and we look forward to seeing them continue to excel in future competitions. Congratulations to all players!
NSW CIS 2023 Medallion Recipients
Congratulations to Willow Barry and Aleksander Gillon for receiving NSW CIS Medallions for excellence in sporting representation in 2023. Willow received her medallion for Hockey and AFL and Aleksander received his for Swimming.
Out of School Sporting Success
Parent/Carer Information and Support
The following activities and services are offered by external providers and 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.
The 1000 NSW Public Sector Apprentice and Trainee Program
The 1000 NSW Public Sector Apprentice and Trainee Program has transitioned into Round 2 with the program funding 440 opportunities across various Government Agencies and State Owned Corporations.
for more information and to apply The 1000 NSW Public Sector Apprentices and Trainees Program | NSW Government
SWAP IT – Everyday in a lunch box
Fundraising with Entertainment Book
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