The BDC Advantage

Thank you to our secondary families who have made Term 1 2022 a big step towards returning our vibrant college to the place it should be, a place where we welcome all and are actively learning in the classroom and taking opportunities beyond the classroom. We are coming to the end of Term 1 and I have included some areas that stand out to me and the BDC Advantage now or are being developed.

Success comes in many forms and part of the BDC Advantage is that we aim to foster and celebrate the diversity of success of our students. Recently these have included, our mountain bikers at Thredbo MTB and Mr Galvin, Performing Arts night also last week coordinated by Ms Freeman, athletics success by Daniel Williams at the Australian Athletics Championships, World’s Greatest Shave fundraising efforts by the Class of 2022, The Fathering Project last Friday and our 2021 HSC results earlier in the term. We believe in the individual gifts of our students and we hope that our families see a variety of opportunities that students are involved with and usually at a high level.

An inclusive, tolerant and diverse college is based on our Anglican foundation and Christian ethos. The Religion, Ethics, Philosophy and Studies of Religion courses coordinated by Mr Brown reflect the curriculum side to support our foundation and beliefs. However, REP is an inclusive course that investigates world religions, Aboriginal Spirituality, ethical choices just to name a few. It is underpinned by our Chaplains Rev Cooke and Rev Hagon and the everyday real-world approach that they demonstrate when being with staff and our children. We reflect the street where you and I live, where all are welcome. This is a key element of the BDC Advantage.

We place wellbeing as our first strategic intent and strive to improve in this area consistently. From our specialist staff on-site led by Mrs O’Connor, Year Coordinators, Careers Pathways Coach, Tutor staff and program, rites of passage, camps, Office team and the everyday conversations that staff have with students, families and each other. We know that as a core belief, wellbeing is part of the BDC Advantage. If there are signs or concerns, please contact your child’ Year Coordinator or Tutor Teacher or our Office team for further support.

The BDC Advantage is demonstrated through our curriculum's focus on learning and teaching. HSC success, HSC extension courses, success at SBaTs and traineeships and access to tafe are second to none amongst local high schools as students graduate as world prepared young adults. However, the groundwork is laid by parents at home and we build upon this for the K-12 journey. Language study lead by Ms Wyndham includes Japanese, French and Italian Beginners (at HSC) which is a choice most students do not have in other schools. Ms Goodman leads the Creative Arts team and our art gallery is almost always full of creative artworks or major works. All curriculum is based upon numeracy and literacy across faculties although English is championed by Mrs Dal Pozzo and Mathematics with Mrs Walker/Mr Dal Pozzo and they are committed to excellence and continuous improvement for our students. Science has welcomed Mrs Harris this year as Head of Faculty and Mr Andrews continues in PDHPE. Dedicated inspiring professionals in our key areas but also enriched and extended through Kaizen, World Options, accelerated courses (HSIE and Mathematics), and our wonderful LRC and iHUB staff. Learning and Teaching are led by Mr Craig Verbruggen.

Opportunities beyond the classroom continue to grow and be restarted after the last two years. Performing Arts is just an amazing success story due to our specialist education staff across Drama, Dance and Music ensuring we have specialists from K-12 in the classroom. The programs are coordinated through Mrs Day as Head of Faculty. The commitment by our tutors and parapetetics staff has resulted in 200+ students accessing some form of level preparation or tutoring or HSC specialist support or just for fun in performing arts. In 2022 this is coordinated by Ms Freeman. The numbers speak highly of this BDC Advantage aspect. A vibrant creative and performing arts focus should be part of every school, we are fortunate to excel in this area. 

Only this week we have heard more news to celebrate by BDC Alumni Jake Egan (2017). Jake pursued his passion for music and after studying at both AIM in Sydney and Jazz Guitar at Queensland Con he joined the Australian Army Band. He has just been successful in gaining full-time employment with the Band of the Royal Military College in Canberra playing guitar and bass. Congratulations Jake and those staff who assisted Jake at BDC.

Sport continues to grow through the Barracuda Sporting Club including many parent coaches and Ms Titcume, representative sport through pathways like CIS and NCIS and college carnivals with Mrs Hilton and Mr Kelleher, our extensive 7-10 internal sport with Ms Reinhold. The academies for dance, golf, football and netball continue to grow from their early beginnings and these are developed with Ms Titcume as coordinator who has also seen the High Performance and Athlete Development Program thrive as an essential part of the BDC Advantage.

Service leadership and opportunities are part of the culture that we continue to develop and are the heart of the BDC Advantage. Often student-driven including the Year Leadership Group which coordinated our Flood Blitz drive, Human Rights Group attending action for climate and the powerful Harmony Day assembly, Hospitality preparing food for the Uniting Church Soup Kitchen, seniors coordinating donations for Share the Dignity and recycling initiative through our House Leaders. Our youth clearly understand that we are all part of something much bigger and in their own way with staff support challenge us to make the college, Coffs Coast, Australia, and even a global impact for the better. Now that is exciting to see or be part of at BDC.

Our college is a dynamic and positive environment, a place to be as a young teenager or adult. However, when things are difficult or you are not sure please contact one of our staff for assistance.

End of Term 1 Information

Last day of Term 1: Friday 8th April, Easter Service in Branson Centre K-12.

ANZAC Day: Monday 25th April (can your child attend with the college at a service?).

First day of Term 2: Tuesday 26th April, Week 1 Day 7 (sport day 7-10).

Thank you for your continued adaptation to changes that COVID19 requirements have thrown at us as we responded to mask use, staying at home if unwell, and letting the college know about students in isolation. Our staff also continue to be impacted by this as carers or parents and (as for many others in our community) becoming unwell or with COVID19 as well. Unfortunately, a number of parent-teacher meetings were canceled due to staff wellbeing and or isolation guidelines. These staff will contact home. Please contact your child’s teacher at any time, there is no need to wait until a formal meeting. Staff should usually return a message within 48hrs.

ANZAC Day 25th April

This year we hope now that we can meet and attend services with fewer restrictions that our students can attend and march with the college at one of the following ANZAC services. College summer uniform please. Our Captains are expected to attend one of the below services with their blazers.

Coffs Harbour: 8.45am arrive, meet east end of Park Ave, staff to meet include Mrs Hilton, Mrs STokes, Mr Johnstone, Mrs Sonja O’Connor.

Sawtell: 10.45am, arrive, meet near surf club, staff to meet include Mrs Sue O’Connor, Mrs Watson, Mrs day, Mrs Powell, Mr Doyle.

Nambucca Heads: 8am, arrive, meet top of Bowra street.

Urunga: 10.45am, arrive, meet at Spa Supermarket, staff to meet include Mrs Dawson and Mrs Sharkey.

Bellingen: 8.30am, arrive, meet near steps off Church st Assemble include Mrs Easman

Woolgoolga: 10.30am, arrive, meet Post Office, staff to meet include Mr Smith, Mr Verbruggen, Mr Reedy, Ms Martin, Mrs Matthews.

Macksville: 10.30am, arrive, meet Princess st -Mandarin Motel.

We keep our Class of 2022 in our thoughts and prayers at this time of the year as they have been completing an extensive program of assessment and coursework. It is getting real and this is part of being a busy senior at BDC. Please talk with your teachers on a regular basis and consider using the iHUB when open during the holidays for your HSC preparation. Thank you for Term 1 2022, we wish you a safe and holy Easter.

Simon Doyle
Assistant Principal (Head of Secondary)

Term 1 -  BDC Secondary Esports

Rocket League became the game to play for BDC secondary esports for Term 1. Our team consisted of 6 players (Angus Webb, Ronan Geurin, Ryan Sharkey, Aaron and Sam White and Harrison Fisher) and competed in the ACER High School Cup (run by the Australia Esports League). 

Teams normally consist of 3 players, but due to the competition running on Saturdays and other sporting commitments, we have had to use 6. Rocket League (in case you didn't know), is a game where you control small cars and play a mini-game of soccer in an arena. The skill involved is mind-boggling. It is like trying to play cricket with a toothpick and a grain of rice. Very challenging.

Next term (Term 2) we will send out information about teams competing in Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers and Overwatch. AEL (Australian eSports League) runs competitions terms 1-4, so as one ends, another one starts. The tournaments just require players to be from the same school and be 13+ in age. Anyone interested please contact Mr Walker  or keep an eye out for information on School Box soon. 

Pythagoras' Theorem

In Week 8 Mrs Andrews and her Year 9 Maths class met the learning outcome:

applies Pythagoras' Theorem to calculate side lengths in right-angled triangles, and solve related problems.

They achieved this by watching 2 videos that demonstrated the theorem visually. These videos were met with "Ohhhhh, I get it!" moments.  After creating visual summaries of the videos the students then discovered how to calculate side lengths by manipulating an online interactive.

From there the students discovered triangles in the school surroundings and proved whether the triangles they observed were right-angled or not. Applying their knowledge in teams they were then able to solve problems delivered as a scavenger hunt. Two straight hours of Pythagoras' Theorem and they were fully engaged and invested the whole time, great work Year 9!

Jenna Haley today did a magnificent job in acknowledging country for a webinar hosted for the APS Psychologists in School Interest Group.  

Clinical Psychologist Andrew Fuller presented on his book The A to Z of Feelings. Andrew gave wonderful feedback and thanks to Jenna for her welcome. She presented to approximately 100 psychologists in schools across the country.