1. Art and Diseño

The Pit – Page 1
Week 1 - Term 1
29 January 2015
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (02) 4922 8300
New Enrolments: (02) 4922 8399
The Pit can be found on the College’s website at www.bcc.nsw.edu.au
From the Principal…
Welcome to Term 1 2015! We welcome four new members of staff:
Miss Anna Moses (Middle School); Mrs Hannah Haggerston (PDHPE),
Mrs Trudi Sanchez (Food Tech & Hospitality) and; Mrs Olivia
Wotherspoon-Brown will be joining us in 6 weeks (Middle School). We
welcome back Mrs Erin Goodman (Junior School) and Mrs Emma
Urane (Junior School) from maternity leave. Please pray for them as
they settle into their positions and become part of our community.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to behold! And to
misquote Mark Twain: “The reports of my demise were greatly
exaggerated”! Many thanks to those who supported my return.
It is great to be back in the Principal’s chair and I am looking forward to
a wonderful year and to what God has in store for us.
During some rather dark times when I was feeling sorry for myself and
complaining to God I was challenged and convicted that I needed to
change and grow spiritually. In Romans 5:3,4, Paul teaches that life’s
predicaments can produce godly character in us. I came to understand
that my complaining and “sooky la la” stuff (that is what my wife called
it!), hinders God’s work.
Here is what I learnt for overcoming a complaining attitude:
 I remembered that my troubles did not take God by surprise. He
was still (and always is) in control;
 I believed that God had a solution, a provision or a gift of wisdom to
match my difficulty;
 I needed to pray, affirming my faith in God and expressing my
confidence in His loving purpose for me;
 I needed to wait with expectancy and availability, trusting God to
work out His perfect will;
 I needed to praise Him, even before He acted.
My encouragement to you is that this alternative to complaining gives
God the opportunity to work creatively both in us and our
circumstances. Best of all, even if the circumstances don’t change, He
uses them to change us. I recommend it!
The Theme for the year will be as John Betterridge announced at
Presentation Night, Proverbs 3:5,6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Let’s see how
that outworks in 2015!
God bless each one,
Michael Budden
Middle School ‘In the Swim of
Things!’
Our ‘In the Swim of Things’ program is
one way in Middle School that we ease
students back into the routines of school,
giving them time to be active and time
with old friends and an opportunity to
make new ones .
On the first day of school Middle School
were in their classrooms until just before
midday – meeting their teacher, getting
their book packs, labeling their tote trays,
revising the school rules…and then just
before midday we packed up and headed
to Valentine Pool for some fun. We have
over twenty new students in Middle
School this year and we want them to feel
at home as quickly as possible. Many of
our other students haven’t seen each
other for weeks and the thing most
Middle Schoolers most like to do is chat
to each other and so we like to move the
barriers for a couple of hours and just let
them enjoy each others’ company,
hopefully setting in place the first
stepping stone in drawing them together
into a close community of friends who
will do life
together well at
BCC.
More
photos
continued on Page
6
The Pit – Page 2
Prep – Yr 12
From the Assistant Principal…
Prayer Points
Hi all and welcome to the New Year. A
special welcome to Mr Budden, back at
the helm for 2015. Praise God! After the
uncertainties of last term, it is great to
look forward to a year that promises so
many blessings. The staff enjoyed a very
positive conference week and the
enthusiasm for the year ahead was a
terrific encouragement. Several staff
have left us in recent weeks, moving on
to other schools and ministries. They
include Mrs Robin Byrnes, Mrs Christine
Nowland and Mrs Bec Horton. Mrs
Hannah Haggerston (nee Tidey) will be
our new PE teacher and we’ve advertised
for Special Ed. Mrs Sanchez is back with
us and partnering with Mrs Quick in
Food Tech and Hospitality after several
years of home duties. Miss Anna Moses
will also be joining us in Middle School
after a very successful internship here
last year. Our great team has been
strengthened even further with these
wonderful additions.
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Our HSC results were strong again and
we placed 16th in the region out of 75
schools. We were well placed statewide
and our university offers were again well
above average. Congratulations to our
class of 2014.
The year ahead looks very promising.
We have our cyclical Board of Studies
inspection in April but are well
positioned to meet the challenge. We
enter 2015 in a sound position financially
and it was a blessing to see the College
Board able to make fee reductions.
Praise God for His continual
faithfulness. With the prospect of a great
year ahead, I would like to say thank you
to the many parents, staff, students and
members of Belmont Baptist Church
who prayed so faithfully for the College
and me personally through the difficult
times last year. Your prayers were greatly
valued and, I believe, answered. Let’s
continue not leaning on our own
understanding but acknowledging Him
as He makes our paths straight to grow
our children up into Christ.
John Betterridge
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Pray for our new staff, students and families.
Pray for our ex-students as they plan their futures.
Pray for staff and students as they travel to various activities.
Blessing and protection for our College.
Pray that those students who don’t know the Lord will find Him and
that all will continue to grow up into Christ.
New Light Foundation, our sister school.
Pray for Christian schools across Australia.
Silver Medalist at the Lake Macquarie International
Children’s Games
Congratulations
to
Georgia
Hammond, Marlee Hammond,
Mikayla
Kirchner,
Shanae
Kirchner, Gabrielle Maddison and
Grace Whipp who won Silver in
Water Polo at the Lake Macquarie
International Children’s Games
last December
Well done girls on a great
achievement!
S
School Fees
Want to save 4% on tuition fees this year?
Simply make payment of fees in full before 20th
February 2015 and we will discount your
tuition fees by 4% for the year. BCC is also
offering a 2% discount for paying 6 months
fees in advance by 13th February and 31st July.
In order to take advantage of these limited
time offers, you must call Michelle in the office and she will happily
calculate your discount for you. Ph: 4922 8302
The Pit – Page 3
Prep – Yr 12
Prep First Week
High School Swimming Carnival
(Years 7-12)
DATE: TUESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2015
Location: Charlestown Pool
Start Time: 8.30 am
Finish Time: 2.30 pm
Prep is off to a flying start
with new little people
settling quickly into the
routine. The children have
enjoyed an array of toys and
activities to keep them busy
so they don’t miss mum too
much! We look forward to
a fantastic year in Prep with our new children.
Kindergarten First Day of School
With much excitement the
Kindergarten arrived on
Wednesday for their first day
of school.
The children
quickly settled into their new
school routine, exploring the
school and getting to know
their new classmates and their
Year 5 buddies.
Attendance is Compulsory for All
STUDENTS.
Carnival participation will be used in Years
7 – 10 PDHPE Assessment. The greater
the participation the higher the mark.
If your child is absent they MUST provide
a valid reason to their Roll Call Teacher.
We still require student helpers, so if your
child is a weak swimmer they can assist
with jobs on the day, and this will NOT
affect their PDHPE Assessment.
School buses will be running from the
College for those who cannot make their
own way to Charlestown Pool. If
you wish for your child to catch a
school bus, have them place their
name on the bus rolls with the
office staff.
Mr Mark Hall,
PDHPE Coordinator
Primary Swimming Carnival
(Years 3-6)
Our Primary School Swimming Carnival
(Years 3-6) will be held on Thursday 12th
February at Charlestown Swimming Pool.
Students are to make their own way to the
pool and arrive at 8:30am to have their
names marked off.
The School will provide a bus for students
from the Central Coast and Toronto.
Your child should have already received a
note with full details.
The carnival is also open to Year 2
students, but only those with exceptional
swimming abilities. That is, swimmers
who already compete or train in squads.
Most Year 2 students should be at school
for a normal day.
Mr Ben Robins
Junior School Sport Coordinator
The Pit – Page 4
Prep – Yr 12
Staff First Aid – Proficient!
Junior School Dates… In Term 1
Dear Parents/Care Givers, you can be
reassured that your children are in safe
hands again.
During our January
Conference all the staff successfully
completed their Applied First Aid
Certificates. Proving their ability to apply a
first aid in many scenarios from CPR,
Asthma, Anaphylaxis etc.
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Tuesday, 3rd Feb - ‘Meet the Teacher Night’
Thursday, 12th Feb - Primary Swimming Carnival
Tuesday 24th Feb - Primary Zone Swimming Carnival
25th-27th Feb - Year 5 Camp
Monday 23rd March – Prep Photo day #1
Monday 23rd March - Young Leader’s Day (selected Year 5 students)
Tuesday 24th March - Junior School Photo Day
Thursday 26th March, Prep Photo Day #2
Friday 2nd April - Last day of Term 1
Mascots for Australia v UAE game
Canteen News (Ph 4922 8348)
Canteen Roster
Mon 2/2/15
Help Needed Please
Tues 3/2/15
S Smith
Wed 4/2/15
Help Needed Please
Thurs 5/2/15
Help Needed Please
Fri 6/2/15
J Mills
Mon 9/2/15
Help Needed Please
Tues 10/2/15
Z Nolan
Wed 11/2/15
Help Needed Please
Thurs 12/2/15
Help Needed Please
Fri 13/2/15
K Button
School 24 – Our Online ordering system –
easy to order, can plan your children’s
lunches, weeks in advance. Cut off time
each day is 9:30am. Check it out at the
following
website:
http://www.school24.com.au/ our school
code is 2524963 or email us and we will send
you a link. If you need help in setting up
your account just come and see us at the
canteen.
Please check the new price list attached.
Some price rises due to supplier price
increases:
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Pies & Potato Pies $3
Sausage Rolls & Party Pies $2
300ml flavoured milk $1.80
160g yogurt $2.50
Congratulations
to
Poppy Whyte (Year 2)
and Naomi Wright
(Year 3) who were
selected to be mascots
for the Australia v
UAE game held at
Hunter Stadium last
Tuesday night. It was
a great honour for the
girls who were picked
from hundreds of
children
all
over
NSW.
BCC AFTER SCHOOL CARE ‘OOSH’
Our OOSH facility operates every school day from 2:45pm until
6:00pm, catering for Kinder to Year 6, with the opportunity for Prep
to attend too where numbers permit.
Fees for 2015 are:
Daily Fee for a Permanent Booking $22
Daily Fee for a Casual Booking $30
As a special, limited time offer the College is offering permanent
bookings for Term 1 at the daily rate of $17.
Get in quick to ensure your position, as limited numbers are
available. To book in your child, see Teena or Michelle in the office.
Please note that for casual bookings, there is a cut-off time of 12
midday on the day of attendance, after which any cancellations will
need to be paid for.
The Pit – Page 5
From the Junior School….(Telephone 4922 8340)
Welcome back to the Junior School! I trust that parents and children have
had the opportunity to spend a good amount of quality time together over the
holiday break, and have had time to refresh, ready for 2015!
We are anticipating that 2015, in the Junior School, will bring with it a busy,
positive, and exciting time to be had by all. We will be undertaking a number
of ventures, a significant one being our on-stage Musical to be held at the
Civic Theatre, later this year. This will be headed-up by the amazing talent of
a number of our extremely gifted and creative teachers, who will be exploring
a range of possibilities to help children express their God-given gifts, in a fun
and creative way. There will be more details to follow in regard to this,
including rehearsal times, as well as opportunities for parent involvement. We
have seen in the past, the incredible generosity parents have shown in
supporting our musicals, and we look forward to continuing with this
wonderful partnership.
At Belmont Christian College, we have a Christ-centred curriculum, and we
aim to keep parents informed about current subject areas and trends and the
NSW National Curriculum in the Junior School. The relatively new English,
as well as the new Science and Mathematics syllabi will be implemented and
taught in all classes, as well as the usual subject areas. Throughout 2015,
Junior School teachers will be working hard on integrating and setting up
programs for the new NSW History syllabus, into our ever-growing GOAL
program (very much behind the scenes work - such is the life of a teacher!).
For this year, children will be learning the current Human Society and Its
Environment (HSIE) Key Learning Area as a subject in GOAL. In the
future, (2016 and beyond) HSIE will be replaced by History and Geography,
as per National curriculum requirements. At Belmont Christian College, we
ensure that we are rigorous in keeping abreast of current and developing
educational trends and requirements, but always keeping the health and
welfare of the individual child a priority, with Christ at the centre of teaching
and learning.
Further to changes and development, it is with
great pleasure that we welcome back our muchloved and esteemed teachers, Mrs Erin Goodman
and Mrs Emma Urane. Both ladies have come
back to us after taking maternity leave, and will
now be the teaching boys and girls in 1E. Mrs
Goodman will be teaching on Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday, with Mrs Urane teaching on Thursday and Friday. Along
with their passion and love for teaching, Mrs Goodman and Mrs Urane will
bring with them, much wisdom and teaching experience, as well as their
wonderful freshness and energy. A great year ahead!
Lastly and very importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to express
my gratitude for the love and encouragement I have experienced from both
parents and children coming into this year. In my new role as Head of Junior
School this year, I am praying and expecting that we can work together in
nurturing your child to best meet each one’s spiritual, educational and social
needs at school. It is a privilege and honour to be serving at Belmont
Christian College in any capacity. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to
serve in this wonderful place in a role that can help children to meet their
God-given capacities, and to serve and support parents help each child to
'Grow up Into Christ'.
Blessings
Leoni McNeill
Head of Junior School, On behalf of the Junior School
Communicating With Teachers
Parents will be aware of the routine that
takes place, each morning, in the Junior
School during which the children enter
their classroom at 8:30am to unpack their
bags and prepare for the day’s activities.
During this time, it is very important for
the class teachers to be available to
interact with, and direct, the children.
Therefore, they are not able to chat with
parents. Please be aware, therefore, that
the Junior School teachers are not
available for parent interviews, or even
short ‘chats’, at any time before school.
Indeed, it is best if parents do not enter
the classroom before school. We are
actually finding that some rooms are
becoming very crowded during this 10minute preparation time, and this is
hindering the children and staff.
 If parents wish to communicate with
their child’s teacher, the following options
are available:
 If the matter is urgent - please send a
note to the teacher via your child. The
teacher will be able to read it and respond,
as time permits, in the morning.
 Teachers are generally available most
afternoons after school (except Tuesdays).
 Teachers also have some time
available during the school day. Please
contact the office and request an
interview time. They will pass the message
onto the teacher who will contact you to
make a suitable appointment.
 Many teachers are now encouraging
email communication. Your child’s
teacher will discuss this possibility at the
‘Meet the Teacher Night’.
Join us for Assemblies and
‘Prayer & Praise’
Parents and other interested members of
the College community are always
welcome to attend our fortnightly
assemblies, and the ‘Prayer and Praise’
assemblies. This year these will be held on
alternate
Thursday
afternoons,
commencing at 1:50pm. During Term 1,
assemblies are held during the odd
numbered weeks, with ‘Prayer and Praise’
held on the even numbered weeks.
The Pit – Page 6
From the Middle School….(Telephone 4922 8337)
Dear Parents, Grandparents and Carers,
It’s wonderful to be back! I trust you had a blessed
Christmas time and an opportunity to rest and reflect
over the new year period. It is our privilege to be back
together again, partnering with you, to nurture, teach
and encourage your students who are in Middle School
at BCC. We spent last week together as a whole staff,
during our Professional Development Week. It was a
very productive time and helped to refocus us on all
that God is calling us to do this year in response to the
vision He has given for Christian Education and
Community at BCC.
Middle School ‘In the Swim of Things!’
Continued from Page 1
As a team we are excited about the year ahead and we
are looking forward to seeing how God will shape us,
and our students, for His Glory!
We serve an Amazing God!
Warm regards,
Bronwyn Rappeneker
On behalf of the Middle School Team
Introducing Miss Anna Moses
Anna is joining the Middle
School Home Room Team as
a Year 8 Home Room teacher.
Anna will be teaching English,
History,
Geography,
Foundations, D&T, CATTS
and Year 8 PE.
We asked Anna some quick
questions:
What church do you attend? I attend Central Life
Christian Church where I lead a Youth Ministry called Exodus
Youth.
What are you hoping that this year brings? I hope
that this year brings hope and happiness for my family.
What do you love about teaching? As a teacher I love
that I can have an impact on the lives of those I teach and help
each one of my students grow into the person God made them to be
and help them reach their full learning potential.
What is your favourite Bible verse/passage and
why? My favourite Bible verse is John 10:10. ‘The enemy
comes to rob, kill and destroy but Jesus comes that we might have
life and have it abundantly!’
I love that, because of Jesus, we can conquer and overcome
anything life throws at us.
Favourite colour? Pink!
Favourite food? Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (I hold a record for
eating 25 of them in a day and won’t try that again) .
Middle School Expo
Middle School Expo on Monday 9th February from 6pm….
The Expo is an interactive evening where Middle School
Staff will present a variety of information to help ensure
that your child has the best possible journey through
Middle School.
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6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:20pm
Yr 6 parents in Home Room Classrooms
Middle School BBQ for ALL parents
All parents meet in the MPB
Yr 7&8 parents in Home Room Classrooms
Notes about our Expo will be sent out this week.
We look forward to seeing you on the night .
The Pit – Page 7
From the Senior School….(Telephone 4922 8308)
Senior School Year 12 HSC Results
Year 9 & 10 Class Organisation
HSC results have again shown Belmont Christian College
is ranked among the top achieving schools in the region
(16th out of about 74 schools).
Class lists for core classes were carefully and prayerfully put
together by our Middle School and Senior School teachers.
While we understand the importance to adolescents of
being in classes with their friends, we always try to balance
this with the necessity of creating the best possible learning
environment for our students. Some students simply do
not work well together. As a general rule, we ask students
to give their new class a try and, in many cases, they end up
being happy where they are.
The College is still doing well when compared to other
high schools in the region and results saw us rise in State
‘league table’ rankings from 251 in 2013 to 247th for 2014
(http://bettereducation.com.au/results/hsc.aspx). Now
BCC is 92nd (up from 93rd) in all Independent schools in
NSW.
(http://bettereducation.com.au/results/HscIndependent
SchoolResults.aspx)
Belmont Christian College had 60 Year 12 students sitting
the HSC in 2014. There were 118 Band 5+ results in
2014 HSC (292 exams sat). In approximately 40% of
exams sat our students achieved marks 80+ (ie Band
5/Band 6). 40 of the 60 HSC students received at least
one Band 5 or 6 result (ie just over 66% of the cohort).
Just under half of the HSC subjects we offer at BCC (ie
12 of the 25) had students who scored results that were
better than the State average in Band 5 and 6’s.
Correct School Uniform
Finally, your support in ensuring that correct school
uniform is worn is much appreciated. Thank you.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any concerns.
Mr Tidey, Head of Senior School
Welcome to our new PDHPE Teacher
Mrs Hannah Haggerston
Where do you worship? I go to
church at Macquarie Life Church. I will
be involved in the youth group there this
year and have co-run a Year 8 life group.
Subject successes in the HSC can be seen below:Subject
Anc. Hist
CAFS
Ind Tech
Maths – Gen
Mod. Hist
Music
PDHPE
Physics
Senior Sc.
Textiles
Visual Art
Hospitality
% of BCC
students 80+
56%
60%
60%
50%
43%
100%
30%
36%
75%
57%
57%
33%
Our highest reported
ATAR was 92.15
(Stephanie Pratt) with
the next highest at
91.75 (Jessica Higgins).
Several other students
also
achieved
outstanding ATAR’s
that have enabled
them to gain entry into
a wide range of
courses in a variety of
tertiary institutions.
% of State
students 80+
33%
37%
28%
25%
42%
60%
30%
31%
36%
42%
49%
31%
What has been your previous
experience and training? I have
worked for the last two years teaching
PDHPE and Food Technology at St
Philip’s Christian College Cessnock. I am blessed to commence my
third year teaching at BCC.
What will you be doing at our College? I will be a part
of the PDHPE team teaching Senior School PDHPE, CAFS,
PASS and SLR.
What are your interests and hobbies? I have a love of the
beach, particularly Redhead beach. My interests and hobbies are:
surfing, fitness, sport and my dogs.
Tell us your favourite bible verse. “She is clothed with
strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come (without fear
of the future).” Proverbs 31:25
Homework Plus
The Homework Plus is starting up again this year for
students from Years 9 to 12, every Wednesday from
2:45pm to 4:30pm.
Stephanie
Pratt
Jessica
Higgins
Aims:
 Help with assessment tasks
 Practise writing and sentence structure
 Use of library facilities for school work.
 Homework Centre.
Book in by Monday for afternoon tea.
The Pit – Page 8
Middle School Expo on
Monday 9th February from 6pm….
The Expo is an interactive evening where Middle School Staff
will present a variety of information to help ensure that
your child has the best possible journey through Middle School.
6:00pm - Yr 6 parents in Home Room Classrooms
6:30pm - Middle School BBQ for ALL parents
7:00pm - All parents meet in the MPB
7:20pm - Yr 7&8 parents in Home Room Classrooms
We look forward to seeing you on the night .