Newsletter
Term 3 Week 8
From our Director of Teaching and Learning, Mr Andrew Kable
Every so often, generally around the release of NAPLAN results and HSC exams, the national conversation turns to education and its role in a changing world. Encouragingly, more and more attention is being paid to the successes of Explicit Instruction, an approach that we highly value at the College. Explicit Instruction holds that the fastest and most equitable way of ensuring students core knowledge is secure is by helping them learn that knowledge through dynamic, engaging and interactive direct teaching. It’s far from the old ‘drill and kill’ stereotypes, but rather a warm, fast-paced, inclusive and fun way to learn the most important knowledge our civilisation has deemed is important. Whilst EI isn’t by any means the entirety of our educational approach, it forms an important cornerstone of our practice.
Of course, any time Explicit Instruction is mentioned in the media the inevitable protests ring out, complaining that it’s boring (it’s not), it’s outdated (it’s actually based on up-to-the-minute neuroscience), and of course that students don’t actually need knowledge in our culture, because what’s more important is that they can find knowledge on Google or ChatGPT. Aside from some fairly big neuroscientific arguments in favour of deep knowledge which I don’t have space to go into now, one of the greatest problems with these arguments is that truth, in the digital age, is a bit problematic.
Sure, I can Google information, but how do I know it’s true? Experts in AI are warning of a disinformation feedback loop, and a few months ago, when asked if Australia was real, Microsoft’s Bing AI chat bot confidently answered “No”.
We can’t outsource truth in our society to unqualified voices on the internet or robots trained on their output. Misinformation is on the rise, and knowledge of what is true is only going to become more critical in our world. With a firm foundation of core knowledge at their disposal, our students will be well placed to navigate the years to come.
For the Christian, truth is critical; indeed, the Christian faith claims to be the truth, and the pursuit of truth is at the very core of our beliefs. And so, I believe, it is vitally important to ground our understanding of the world in a deep knowledge of how it functions, and the ability to discern what is true, and what is merely noise.
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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- Secondary Assessments: Pray for our secondary students as they take on their assessments. Ask for clear minds, diligence in their studies, and peace in knowing that God is with them every step of the way.
- Year 11 Preliminary Exams: Pray for our Year 11 students as they prepare for their preliminary exams. May they study diligently, trust in their abilities, and be confident in God’s guidance as they approach this important time.
- Year 12 students: Pray for our Year 12 students as they prepare for their HSC exams. Ask for wisdom, perseverance, and a deep sense of peace as they work through this significant phase in their academic journey. Pray that during their last two weeks of school, that they will finish well and find peace in this time of transition.
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
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.
BCC Young Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Expo
In its eighth year, Year 11 Business Studies students recently took part in our Annual BCC Young Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Expo and Pitch event.
Following completion and submission of a detailed business plan, focusing on a situational analysis, financials, marketing, operations and human resource requirements, students are then put to the test by presenting their ideas to their peers in the form of an expo, and then to local business owners, also known as ‘sharks’ via a pitch in the College boardroom. Our Year 11 students ‘hit it out of the park’ and our ‘sharks’ were mighty impressed by their ideas and presentations. Well done to all Year 11 Business Studies for their efforts and persistence in completing a very tough and public task.
The results are officially in, and taking home first prize for both the ‘people’s choice’ expo and ‘sharks’ pitch is Jed Pennington and James Chesterfield for their innovative grocery management app called ‘Salare’, designed to reduce food waste, save money, and make meal planning simple. Well done boys. We look forward to awarding the both of you your prize in an upcoming assembly.
Honourable mention to runners up Elijah Evans and Kye Ribeiro for both their pitch and expo.
A massive shout out to our ‘sharks’ Lance Jensen, from Lance Jensen & Associates Real Estate, and Tony Amato from Amato Property for supporting this important learning event. We could not put on days like this without your help.
Creative News
Congratulations to the Primary School on a Wonderful Showcase of Talent
We are delighted to extend our congratulations to the Primary School for a truly outstanding showcase of student talent at the Primary Show – Light. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to perform for their families, peers, and staff. Thank you staff and families for your support in providing this platform for our students to shine
Join us in sharing a special thank you to all the staff who played a role in making this event possible. Performances of this caliber are the result of collective effort, and we are grateful for their dedication and willingness to go above and beyond. Their teamwork and commitment to our community are what make it so special.
We would like to extend particular thanks to:
- Selina Stewart – Director, Producer, and Creative Content Creator
- Kylie Newland – Musical Director
- Abby Baartz and Jessica Grew – Co-producers
- Ed Helliwell – Production Manager
- Maisey Burgess – Costuming
- Simon Brown – Media Support
- Narelle Christie – Set Design (Year 3 Performance)
Thank you for drawing our attention to the Light of the World!
Year 11 Production – ‘The Peach Season’
Sport News
Zone Mixed Oztag Gala Day Results:
On Wednesday, 11 September, four teams from the College travelled to Adcock Park, West Gosford, to compete in the Zone Mixed Oztag Gala Day. We are proud to report that all four teams played tremendously well, with each making it through to their Grand Final.
While it was a hard-fought day for everyone, the Under 15s Division 2 team emerged as the champions, securing the only win in the Grand Final. Congratulations to the Under 15s Division 2 for their outstanding performance!
A special mention goes to all players and coaches for their incredible effort, dedication, and teamwork throughout the day. You made us proud!
Primary NSW CIS Athletics
Ten of our students represented BCC at the NSW CIS Athletics Carnival two weeks ago and once again produced some outstanding results and many personal best records.
Mia Porter won gold in an incredible 200m finish, where the top ten girls all finished within one second of each other. Mia cracked the 30 second barrier for the first time in this race and has taken one second off her time at each carnival this season since the College event. Mia received her gold medal from former World Champion 200m runner Melinda Gainsford-Taylor.
Our Junior Girls Relay team ran even faster than they have before, taking more than 3 seconds off their CSSA time to grab silver in the 4x100m relay.
Jade Reeves won five silver medals (Shot Put, Discus, Long Jump, 100m, 200m) in the Senior Girls Multiclass and will progress to the NSW PSSA Athletics Championships along with Mia and our Junior Girls relay.
Just getting to NSW CIS is an outstanding achievement and we congratulate all of our athletes who competed on the day.
Primary Zone Oztag
Last week, our Primary Oztag teams competed in the Zone OzTag Gala Day in Gosford.
BCC fielded a Stage 2 mixed team, as well as both senior boys and senior girls teams. All three teams performed exceptionally, each reaching the semi-finals.
Our juniors, though valiant, were defeated by a very strong side. It was a great experience for them, with many playing for the first time.
The senior boys and girls both made it to their grand finals.
The boys final was against a side that had beaten them previously in the day. Tactic changes from Yr 11 Coach Elijah Evans helped to nullify the strong opposition with the game going down to the wire. It would end in heartbreak for Belmont however, with the boys narrowly losing to an intercept try in the final moments.
Our girls went into their final with confidence having already defeated their opponents comfortably earlier in the day. However this game proved to be a lot more difficult ,with the game locked at 2-2 on the final siren and requiring extra time to determine the winner. In a thrilling finale, with just five players left on the field from each side, our senior girls triumphed, winning their grand final in a hard-fought battle with a golden try scored by Molly Mawson. Jessica Culjak was named Player of the Final.
Thanks to our four Yr 11 Sports Coaching students Jeev Sattler, Reef Sattler, Elijah Evans, and Tom Flanagan, who stepped up to coach the teams.
| JUNIOR MIXED | SENIOR BOYS | SENIOR GIRLS |
| lost to Green Point 3-11 | lost to Wyong 2-5 | def Wyong 4-1 |
| def Charlton 6-5 | def Charlton 6-1 | def Mid Coast 6-1 |
| def Coast B 5-2 | def Mid Coast 5-2 | def ACC 8-1 |
| def Mid Coast 5-0 | def Coast 3-0 | def Charlton 6-0 |
| SEMI – lost to Coast A 0-9 | SEMI – def Green Point 5-4 | SEMI – def Coast 8-0 |
| FINAL – lost to Wyong 1-2 | FINAL – def Wyong 3-2 (et) |
States of Matter Incursion
The Year 3 incursion on “States of Matter” was an engaging and educational experience for the students. The session provided hands-on activities that made complex scientific concepts accessible and exciting for young learners.
The highlight of the incursion was the interactive demonstrations, which vividly illustrated the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Students eagerly participated in experiments that allowed them to observe changes in state firsthand, reinforcing their understanding that different types of matter can change state.
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.
SWAP IT – Everyday in a lunch box
Careers News
Newcastle ADF Careers Day
Fundraising with Entertainment Book
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