Adventure Playground

Wajaarr ngaarrigu

After a long wait, with a global pandemic and flooding rains hindering our progress, we are thrilled to announce our brand new adventure playground will open shortly. The playground is a fantastic addition to our school and we can't wait for your children to start exploring and having fun.

Research has shown that play is incredibly important for young children's brains and bodies. As we all know, playtime provides an opportunity for children to engage in physical activity, develop their social skills, and explore their imaginations. The adventure playground is the perfect place for children to do all of these things and more.

The playground has been designed to provide a range of activities that will challenge and engage your child's physical abilities. From climbing walls to rope bridges, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The playground is also filled with a flying fox, a large slide, and monkey bars, which will provide your child with endless opportunities for fun and adventure.

As your child explores the playground, they will be engaging their gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. These skills are essential for healthy development and will help our students to stay fit and active. The adventure playground is a safe and supervised space for your child to be a responsible risk taker and to display courage, building their confidence and problem-solving skills.

Once final approval has been granted, each year level will have an opportunity to experience the playground, before it is opened to Years 3-6 students at recess and lunch times. 

We hope that your child will enjoy exploring the adventure playground and that it will provide them with hours of fun and learning. Our new playground is located on Margaret’s Field which includes a vegetable garden and lots of open space for the students to be creative. Playtime is an essential part of your child's development, and we are thrilled to be able to provide them with such a fantastic space to play and grow.

iHub News

Optus Digital Thumbprint Sessions

On Thursday the 30th of March, a presenter from the Optus Digital Thumbprint team held 4 workshops in the BDC Theatre. The sessions, dealing with digital safety and wellbeing, were created in close consultation with leading education experts and are delivered free to secondary schools across Australia. 

The topics covered this year were:

• YEAR 8 - Cyberbullying
• YEAR 7 - Cyber Security
• YEAR 9 - Digital Discernment
• YEAR 10 - Digital Identity

By making digital education fun and interactive, the Digital Thumbprint workshops teach students the advantages of a positive online presence whilst arming them with the facts they need to stay safe online in a way that students can understand, use and enjoy.

The program has been endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. 

Coming Up

On Friday 5th of May the iHub is hosting a Rocket League competition - Round 2 of the FUSE Cup. Details will be included in the next newsletter.

Careers

Applying to  University in 2024?

Applying to Uni - the way we used to do it!
Applications to University are traditionally done through a Tertiary Admission Centre (TAC)  for each state the university is located e.g. 

• UAC = NSW  - Applications Open from 3 April
• VTAC = Victoria - Applications Open from July 2023
• SATAC = South Australia
• QTAC = Qld - Applications Open from July 2023
• TISC = WA

Different application fees apply for each TAC and there are discounted application fees if you apply early e.g. UAC apply before 29 Sept for $78 / after 29th Sept = $200!

Offers to study at universities when applying this way, are made after the release of the student’s ATAR. There are rounds of offers each month up to March of the enrolment year.

“Early Entry” and “Alternative Entry” pathway Schemes for Elite Athletes or Performers/Indigenous students
There are 2 types of early entry (usually only for NSW universities with a couple of exceptions). Different universities have different programs.

• Apply direct to the university - different open and closing dates depending on the uni) - some are open now. 
• School Recommendation Scheme (SRS) apply though University Admission Centre (UAC) (Opens 3rd April, Closes 19th September)

On around 1st April this year, Year 12 Students will receive a 4 digit PIN code, which will be emailed to them from UAC. You need this pin number to apply for university courses through UAC.  Save it, don’t lose it! 

When should I apply? 

If you are applying directly to a uni for early entry, you can do this from the date their applications for 2024 courses open. 

If you are applying for SRS through UAC  or through another state  TAC, I recommend that, unless you really know what uni course you wish to apply for, that you keep exploring courses of interest and apply for early entry after your trials.  The reason for this is that universities are not required to have finalised their course offerings for 2024 until August 2023, so the course you may be looking for may not show up before then.  

I do share as much information about the different early entry programs as I can, however, Students and parents should use the universities information tool on the BDC Careers website https://bdccareers.com/ to do their own research and keep themselves informed on opening and closing dates, to ensure you don’t miss any application deadlines!

Here is a link to university entry pathway document with a comprehensive list of universities around Australia, their entry scheme open and closing dates and how they assess students to make offers.

Early Offers
SRS scheme - 3 offer rounds from 12 November.

• All Offers are conditional upon the student completing Year 12
• Some offers are unconditional and the student is in, regardless of ATAR
• Some offers are conditional on the student meeting the ATAR requirement for the course

Year 10 Career Expo 25th May 2023  

The Midcoast Connect Career Expo is back again this year at the Coffs Harbour Race Course. Exhibitors on the day include local employers, universities, TAFE  and training organisations from Coffs and Interstate, Police Recruitment and ADF,  just to name a few. I will be taking a bus of interested Year 10 students. 

The expo is a great opportunity for year 10 to start gathering information and speak to exhibitors about the post-school options and work experience.  

Year 10 students need to submit an expression of interest to get a seat on the bus. Please see their Careers Google Classroom for the link. 

Year 9 Southern Cross University Immersion

43 Year 9 students accompanied me to Southern Cross University’s Coffs Harbour Campus last term to get a look into SCU’s fabulous facilities and courses.  Students spent the entire day on campus and undertook faculty workshops with Student Ambassadors in Education, Marine Science, Indigenous Knowledge, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Sports Science, Midwifery and Nursing and were also treated to a delicious lunch!

Kokoda Challenge

Our Year 6 to 8 students from the Elective ‘Perseverance Prove It’ have just 6 weeks until they complete the 30km Endurance Event in Brisbane. Although they are training hard, they need your support. Each of the 5 teams needs to raise $350, all proceeds go to underprivileged children who join a program that helps engage them inspiring each individual to reach their full potential 

Whole School Fundraising

• 10th of May: All students wear Mufti Dress with a gold coin donation going towards the Kokoda Foundation..
• 10th of May: Lunch time Sausage Sizzle & Drinks available & A Bake Sale. Please send your students with some money

A link that you can give directly is: https://www.kokodachallenge.com/fundraisers/bdc4 - Please note, fundraising pages have been merged and all money will be spread out to those competing.

Training Walk

On Wednesday the 17th March, teachers Mr Galvin, Miss Fisher, Miss Dunn, Mrs Gudgeon & Mrs Martin will be leading their teams for a big walk from the Coffs Jetty from 12pm.  

We had such a wonderful training session on the 1st of April and were pleased to see how many students, parents, and teachers joined the Sealy Korora Lookout walk. A few leeches in shoes and a phone over the deck did not detour the students from putting their best foot forward. A huge congratulations. 

Please see below the students who are competing in this event.

Thanks for your support.

Christabel Martin

The next Fathering Project event