Foundation Day In The Jungle…

Foundation Day will be held on the last day of Term 2. We hope you can join in celebrating the foundation of our College. In 2025 we are celebrating this through our Hope25 projects. The focus provided by the Anglican Church Australia through intentional acts of hope across Australia. This has been an outstanding success across the College. Thank you for the preparation of the coming celebration and assembly to those staff involved.

Awards

Foundation Day Award
Each year we acknowledge students at Foundation Day through our prestigious Foundation Day Award. Criteria includes: Dedication to service within the school community. Demonstrates an exceptional attitude and personal excellence regarding their academic program. Diligence in their pursuit of personal excellence. Makes a substantial contribution as a leader of their peers. Contributes to the co curricular life of the College. Contributes to life of the College. Model for living The BDC Way and Faithfulness in Service.

The BDC Way Award
In 2025 we are introducing The BDC Way Award where staff and students can be recognised and the criteria includes: Demonstrating The BDC Way at the highest level giving generously, going above and beyond through service to our community.

Year 11 and Year 12 Academic Excellence Awards External (Annual)
In 2025, following feedback, we will be including Year 11 and Year 12 Distance Education and approved NESA courses completed with other providers in the count if it meets our criteria. Evidence of achievement must be provided at least 2 weeks before the BDC presentation award assembly to the Head of Secondary. Please note: An email from a parent/carer is not adequate as proof of achievement. Please contact Mrs Sue O’Connor for more information if required.

Week 9

Please join us at the many EYE Week events across Week 9, including:
- NAIDOC assembly - Thursday
- Foundation Day Assembly - Friday

As we complete Term 2 and we celebrate creativity throughout EYE Week, NAIDOC assembly and Foundation Day, we have much to celebrate and be thankful for. We give thanks for the many staff who have lived, and continue to live, our motto, Faithfulness in Service. We especially acknowledge those who came before us and helped shape BDC into a school with a strong sense of community, unique on the North Coast of NSW and within our Anglican Diocese.

Faithfulness in Service has a strong presence at the end of Semester 1 including through the World Vision focus - Year 6 shirts, Jump Rope for Heart, the Ration Challenge and Hope25 projects. They also demonstrate our connection to the Anglican community and the character development of our students who live empathetic, compassionate, integrity and perseverance through their learning experiences and family values at the College. It was also wonderful to see the Kaizen class, Kidpreneur, in action and the bake sales this past week.

Semester 1 Reports

Please take the time to discuss the success of learning and effort across Semester 1 in your child’s report. To celebrate this as a family demonstrates to your children how important education is. When they see this first, it becomes very meaningful to their effort in class. I also suggest having a conversation about Term 3 goals for older students and areas for improvement later in the holidays, following this initial discussion. This can help provide balance and focus for the start of the new school term.

A full program of learning and teaching throughout Semester 1 has been complemented by a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. These have included a busy eisteddfod season and a full representative sport schedule. Congratulations to our BDC MTB team, and our basketball, football, and equestrian teams for their achievements last week.

We’ve also enjoyed performing arts showcases, and our Visual Arts Gallery is looking fantastic. There’s been outstanding fun and development each week in our co-curricular clubs, including chess, dance, drama, our academies, and Barracuda sport (hopefully the rain stays away for a while!).

Thank you to our volunteer coaches and officials throughout the year and in recent weeks: rugby, athletics, football, AFL, basketball, netball and surfing (and many more over Term 1).

Strategic Plan 26+ (SP26) Progress

Our College Council, along with the College Leadership Team, have completed the first planning day for the draft SP26+ which is undergoing further review, before sharing again for feedback next term.

Design for Deep Learning Professional Learning Semester 1

Embedding future ready skills, known as the 6Cs of: creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, character and citizenship into our teaching programs and opportunities beyond the classroom continues through staff development. The project team, led by Mrs Sarah Stokes, reflects our ongoing commitment to developing these competencies across K–12 as part of our new metrics for success and graduate attributes framework. Further professional focus and development will take place for our teaching staff throughout Semester 2.

Kindergarten Room and Play Area Upgrade

Thank you to Mr Sam James and Year 1 for commencing the year in the Hollows iHUB space. We anticipate that the room refurbishment will be completed in time for Term 3. The Year 1 class will return to their usual classroom, and a Kindergarten class will move into the newly refurbished room at the front of the school. The playground outside the Kindergarten rooms is also receiving some much-needed attention and is expected to be ready for the start of Term 3.

Phase 1 Performing Arts Music Room Update

Mrs Rebecca Day and I toured the Performing Arts Music buildings this week and we were impressed with their progress. At this stage, the project is on schedule and is expected to be completed by mid-Term 3. Phase 2 of the music tutoring pods is planned for installation between the Rodham Building and OSHC during Term 3. HSC students will still complete their performances in the current rooms. In Term 4, these rooms will undergo refurbishment to become new primary classrooms, set to open in 2026.

Perks and Perspectives - Coffee with the Principal

Last week, a number of the leadership team visited Woolgoolga and Coffs Harbour at local cafes. This outreach program is to meet and hear from alumni, past staff, families or carers or people who may be interested in BDC. Thank you for the people who could attend and we look forward to repeating this and visiting Bellingen in Term 3.

Term 3, Weeks 1-2

Please visit our school calendar as we commence Term 3, with a focus on Year 10 and our high school leadership induction.

Term 3 commences - Monday 21 July
Kindy will celebrate 100 days of school - early Term 3
Leadership handover for secondary
SeenYas on Show for HSC students
Careers and Curriculum Expos for Year 10 - Week 1
Doshisha Girls School Japanese Tour

Thank you for Semester 1. On behalf of the CLT we wish the Snow Sports Program well for their excursion next week and our students a wonderful holiday.

God bless, 

Simon Doyle
Principal