It is the end of Week 4 already and the busyness of the school year is in full swing.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7
It is the end of Week 4 already and the busyness of the school year is in full swing. I wish to thank the students who have already extended the hand of friendship to our 170 new students across the campus. The new students are meshing well into the BDC way and already taking a number of opportunities to extend themselves. I had the pleasure last week to drive to Port Macquarie with the senior music students to see Abbi Gaddes, a recent graduate, perform her HSC piece 'the Pirates of the Carribean'. Abbi represented the college well and our current students witnessed the calibre of performance required to excel at this level.
Our Year 7 students have been on camp this week at the Great Aussie Bush Camp. Thank you to the staff who put their hand up to support this opportunity. As you would know, I am a strong advocate for outdoor education as it helps build confidence, stimulates a sense of adventure, encourages social interaction, creates opportunities for team-building and promotes independence and resilience. I look forward to hearing the Year 7 camp’s stories next week.
This week, the college has also hosted the Primary Music Camp. There was a huge response this year with over 90 primary school students involved over the two days. Thank you to the music staff for making this exciting program a tradition in our college.
Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to our swimmers who participated in both carnivals last week. There was a good deal of house spirit on show. The next step for our champion swimmers is to compete at the North Coast Independent Schools’ swimming championships to be held at Alstonville Aquatic Centre. I look forward to seeing our swimmers perform at this level. Thank you to the parents and grandparents who braved the weather and were able to support our children during last week’s carnivals.
Classes for 2021
Enrolments for 2021 are being organised at present and I encourage families who have not yet informed the college about their plans for 2021 to do so before the end of Term 1. If you have family or friends wishing to join the college please encourage them to organise a tour with me this term so that the enrolment process can be organised in a timely fashion. Year 7 classes for 2021 are close to full already.
Our commitment continues in 2020
It's important to encourage your kids’ learning at school and in the home - education empowers our kids, giving them the ability to interpret the world around them.
Learning at home is an opportunity for schools to collaborate with families to foster positive attitudes. It builds the capacity to support your child’s education and wellbeing at home and at school.
Here are some tips to help you support your child with learning at home:
- Learning at home is a reinforcement of the learning that has taken place in class;
- Support your child by establishing a routine where you can sit with them, or nearby, while they work;
- If you can’t always be around while they’re working, another way to do this is setting a time for you to review their work together once they’ve had a go;
- Be available to test their spelling, listening to them reading, and guide them if they can’t see the solution to a problem or don’t know where to look for information;
- Try to avoid simply answering the question;
- Don’t let it turn into a battle or become a negative part of their routine. If you find that your child is struggling with the work or it’s causing anxiety and conflict, it’s best to stop and arrange a time to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss the issues you are having at home. In this instance, you can instead choose an activity like reading a book or sharing a story, something that causes less stress and anxiety.
Source: The Fathering Project - https://thefatheringproject.org/
School survey
Perspectives: Your school in focus survey
I am excited to invite you to participate in the Perspectives: Your School in Focus survey. This is a school-wide survey for staff, parents/guardians, leaders and board members to assist in the growth and development of our whole school community.
The purpose of the survey is to gather your insights and perspectives on how our school community can continue to lead improvement, innovation and change. Your input and contribution are important as we review and reflect on current practices.
The survey focuses on five important domains: School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Community. Collecting information about these areas from our school community members ensures we continue to meet your needs.
We will ask you, and the school community to participate in this confidential and anonymous survey. The online survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete on any internet-connected device and will be available from Monday 30 March through to Friday 10 April 2020.
Only one parent/guardian from each household/family should complete the survey. If you have more than one child currently at the school, please respond considering the child with the next birthday.
You will be emailed details about how to access the survey shortly. Should you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact hheather@bdc.nsw.edu.au or sueoconnor@bdc.nsw.edu.au
As a valued member of the BDC community, I thank you in advance for engaging with the survey and sharing your feedback and thoughts.
Nick Johnstone
Principal