Welcome to the start of Term 4. The excitement of students returning to the campus has been welcomed by staff, parents and students alike. We have really hit the ground running this term with modified activities beginning and being planned for. I was extremely proud of our students and staff during the lock-down period and of our year 12s as they adapted to the changing goalposts of HSC requirements.

Congratulations to our incoming year 12 students who on day 1 this term were involved in their rite of passage Commencement Service. The symbolism of this event is noteworthy and the students respected and appreciated the gesture and the event. I wish our incoming year 12 students all the best as they start their HSC studies as the class of 2022. 

COVID-19 Update

A Public Health Order has been placed on all schools in NSW which has mandated that all staff will need to be double vaccinated by 8 November. The College has been communicating with staff regarding this issue for some time and as you are aware also organised a voluntary vaccination hub for staff and HSC students over the last month. While I am aware this is a controversial subject for some of our families, I wanted to assure our community that the college will be compliant with the Public Health Order and continue to follow the NSW Public Health advice as well as advice provided by the Independent Schools Association.

Southern Cross University Partnership

The College has a positive relationship with Southern Cross University with a variety of honours and opportunities available to students at both campuses.

Bianca de Jong, BDC Alumni 2020 was the proud recipient of the Southern Cross University Chancellor’s Scholarship for 2021. Bianca has a strong interest in the Health Sciences and has been studying a Bachelor of Nursing this year. 

Amber Stickland and Evie Baldwin have been successful recipients of the Bishop Druitt College-sponsored first day teaching awards. Amber is the recipient of the Bishop Druitt College STEM Education Prize and the Bishop Druitt College Wellbeing Education Prize. Evie was the recipient of the Bishop Druitt College Arts Education Prize. 

The college wishes these wonderful students every success in their future years of study.

World Teachers’ Day

The first day of term 4 was World Teachers’ Day and the college celebrated this event with a COVID-safe staggered morning tea. I wish to publicly acknowledge the college staff as they have navigated the changes of 2021 and excelled throughout these challenging times.

School Improvement Plan 2021 Review

The college is in the process of completing our SIP2021 and starting our planning processes for SIP2022. We plan to share this vision with our community in the first newsletter next year. It has been an interesting 12 months with a good deal of success in a wide range of areas but, of course, it has been interrupted by COVID-19.  

I wish to thank all our families and partners for continuing to support the college throughout the year.

View the School Improvement Plan here.

New and Departing Families Information

The college has almost completed the enrolment process for 2022 and to avoid waiting lists in select year groups I would appreciate it if you could advise the school if you are going to withdraw your child at any stage in Term 4 this year. 

I also encourage families who have younger children that have not yet enrolled to complete their application as soon as possible for 2023. 

Academic Scholarships for 2023 (Entry to years 7-11)

Applications for 2023 Academic Scholarships for students entering Years 7-12 will opening on 1 November 2021 and close at midnight AEDST Monday 7 February 2022. 

The Academic Scholarships are awarded on the basis of a competitive examination conducted by ACER, which will take place on Saturday 26 February 2022 at Bishop Druitt College. 

Full or partial scholarships are awarded by the Principal.

Please see our website for further details.

BDC Golf Day - 7 November 

Places are filling fast for the BDC Golf Day. We would be honoured to welcome families and members of the greater BDC community to this event. 

To register or sponsor a hole, please click here 

We're now in our 23rd year of running this event, and proudly supported by our major sponsor Geoff King Motors. 

Nick Johnstone 
Principal