and Early Learning Centre

Email: office@burdekincc.com

2-12 Melbourne St, Ayr QLD 4807

Phone (07) 4783 5552 Fax (07) 47835926

www.bccollege.net.au

Wisdom &

Discipline for

Tomorrow’s Leaders

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Newsletter 1 — Thursday 14th February 2013

ELC & School

Accounts

We apologise for the delay

in ge�ng

accounts out to you. We

have been

experiencing

computer issues due to a

power outage 2 weeks ago.

We hope to have all our

computer systems back up

and working this week and

accounts will be issued asap.

From the Principal’s Desk

Andrew Evetts, Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians

Welcome to the 2013 school year—it has certainly started at full pace for here

at the College.

We have started the school year with 135 students and 7 classes. Years 5, 6 & 7 have commenced

music lessons with Mr Ford on a Tuesday, a.er school sports training sessions with Mr Walsh and Mr Knight

commence this Thursday and cra. lessons with Mrs Watson commence next Thursday.

This year we have purchased all our school resources from Mick and Amanda Escriva at Bridge

Newsagency. We are very happy with the service they have provided and we are pleased to support a local

business. We have also changed our uniform supplier to a local business—Sportsfirst. Sportsfirst have been

very helpful and have assisted us with all our teething problems. As you know we have experienced issues

with transport, Christmas closures, roads being cut and then a customs holdup but hopefully these issues

have all been ironed out and the uniforms stock will be back in stock shortly. We are delighted to be able to

use local businesses and receiving compe66ve prices and excellent service is a bonus.

We have also purchased, and are in the process of implemen6ng , a new school database system (similar to

the OneSchool program the State School have to use). It will streamline all billing, a;endance and repor6ng

and will enable us to remain compliant with all the government legisla6ve requirements.

In the first week back of Term 1 we had a 2 hour power outage that caused a huge problem with our com-

puter systems. We are only just ge�ng our computer system back on track now so hopefully within the

next week we will be back on schedule with regards to issuing accounts.

Thank you for your pa6ence with all our 2013 teething problems. I’m sure you understand there will always

be problems and issues when implemen6ng changes and we are busy trying to iron out all the issues as

soon as we possibly can. We have welcomed new staff into the BCC fold and they have hit the ground run-

ning. Please be considerate of the new staff and give them your support as they find their feet. Be assured

that they have the children’s best interests at heart and they are truly trying their hardest!

If you do have any issues please make an appointment at the office to see me. Problems can usually be

sorted out easily and many problems are only just miscommunica6ons that can be rec6fied without any fuss

whatsoever. As always, if you would like to see your child’s teacher please make an appointment at the

office with Fiona. Remember if you are speaking to your child’s teacher then he/she isn’t able to give his/

her students her full a;en6on and that can end badly.

Yours in Christ

Dates for your CalendarDates for your CalendarDates for your CalendarDates for your Calendar

Queensland state term dates - 2013 (College Term tba)

NB: The first day of each term is usually a Pupil Free Day. The last day of each term

usually finishes at 11am.

February Friday 22nd February—Boardies Day (gold coin donation to support Surf Life Saving Foundation)

March Thursday 28th March—end of Term 1 Friday 29th March—Good Friday

Queensland term dates - 2013

Term Dates Length

Term 1 Tuesday 29 January - Thursday 28 March 9 weeks

Term 2 Monday 15 April - Friday 21 June 10 weeks

Term 3 Monday 8 July - Friday 20 September 11 weeks

Term 4 Tuesday 8 October - Friday 6 December 10 weeks

BUS STUDENTS

The bus company has provided us with a list of

students who are registered with the Dept of

Transport to catch a school bus. If your child catches

a bus and you pay the bus company directly could

you please let the office know asap which bus they

catch and how regularly. We are the first pickup on

many routes and we need to have the bus students

out the front of the school by 3pm.

Artwork by Hamish Srre�—Year 4

Monthly school fees are due at the end of each month. The preferred method of payment is by direct debit. There are discounts

for paying the school fees in advance. The school fees are also discounted for those families with more than one child a;ending

the College.

Monthly (due at the end of each month commencing February and finishing November - over 10 months)

1 child at the Burdekin Chris6an College $178.50 per month

2 children $285.60 per month

3 children $339.15 per month

4 children $374.85per month

Yearly (fees must be paid in full by the 28th February each year to take advantage of the 10% discount)

1 child at the Burdekin Chris6an College $1606.50 for the year

2 children $2570.40 for the year

3 children $3052.35 for the year

4 children $3373.65 for the year

Semester - a discount of 5% applies if paid by the 28th February and second instalment by 31

st July

1 child at the Burdekin Chris6an College $847.88 per semester

2 children $1356.60 per semester

3 children $1610.96 per semester

4 children $1780.54 per semester

Addional fees

• There is a $25 non-refundable enrolment fee for new students • There is a Resource Fee of $130 due at the beginning of the school year (or upon a student’s commencement at the College

during the school year). The Burdekin Chris6an College supply all the student’s resources including text books, wri6ng equipment,

exercise books, pencil cases, wri6ng implement etc) • School uniforms can be purchased at the school office – please see the office for more informa6on.

You may to wish to set up a direct debit each fortnight to pay the school fees and this can be done by staff at your bank or by ask-

ing one of the staffmembers at the local Centrelink office to direct a fortnightly payment for you. Our banking details are:

Name: Burdekin Chrisan College

Bank name: Commonwealth Bank

BSB: 064 801

Account Number: 00904155

Reference: Family Name

If you have any ques6ons about the fee structure or if you are having trouble mee6ng your payment schedule please contact the

office as soon as you can.

2013 BCC Fee Structure

Accounts will be issued monthly. If you would like Rose to provide you with an invoice for a yearly account could you please let the office know asap.

Kindy/Pre Prep

Gessi Wilson, Acting Director & Group Leader

ELC

We would like to welcome back our families from last year and it has been a pleasure ge�ng to know our new

families. Thank you for choosing the Burdekin Chris6an College Early Learning Centre to look a.er your

children.

The program started last week and our learning 6me has begun. Last week we learnt and listened to the ‘s’

sound. We could hear the sssssssss sound in Sarah, Seth, snake, sit and sea. We have started our name

tracing, prac6sing our coun6ng and days of the week.

We made pancakes on Pancake Tuesday, spread with margarine and honey, they were delicious.

We focused on the colour blue and helped develop our fine motor skills by doing ac6vi6es such as scissor

cu�ng, finger pain6ng, glueing, box collage and construc6on (with large and small leggos, connectables, gear

set and magne6c blocks).

For language we have read ‘Five Cheeky Monkeys’, ‘One Gorgeous Baby’ and ‘Who’s a Clever Baby Then?’. We

are learning Heads and Shoulders in Italian.

In finger plays we are learning are ‘Open Shut Them’, ‘Here Is the Sea’ and ‘Two Li;le Roosters’. We have been

dancing and doing the ac6ons to ‘Thelma Thumb’, ‘I Wiggle’ and ‘The Hokey Pokey’.

This week we are concentra6ng on the colour yellow. We have helped make yellow play dough, we painted

leaves found in the yard with yellow glue then glued them on to paper. This was a group ac6vity which helped

us develop our social skills, such as co opera6ng , sharing and taking turns.

It has been so hot, so nearly every day we are having water play. This cools us down as well as it being an

ac6vity that helps further develop our social, cogni6ve and physical skills. We added yellow food colouring to

the water, filled the plas6c bo;les with the yellow water, then watered the grass, emp6ed the water into the

wheelbarrow, then put the fish in the water and watched them float.

As yet we have not started our library day, however we will inform you as soon as we know the day.

Don’t forget:

• Name all belongings

• Check your pockets in the foyer regularly

• Provide two small bed sheets for rest 6me and put in a cloth shopping bag or similar

• Apply sunscreen to your child before a;ending or we have sunscreen if you would like to apply it on

• arrival. Sunscreen is applied to your children before outside play in the a.ernoons.

If you have any ques6ons or concerns, please do not hesitate to see one of our staff.

Separaon Distress

Is your child having a li;le trouble se;ling into their new rou6ne a.er the long holiday

break? Ms Orchard , the Director from the ELC, has provided a website that contains

informa6on on separa6on distress (applicable for both parents and children). If you would

like more informa6on on this issue please visit www.kidsmaer.edu.au and type separa6on

distress into the search field. Below is an extract from this website.

Understanding Children's separation

distress can be due to…

Adults can help reduce the child’s

distress by…

The way the child thinks

"I don’t feel safe without my Mum or Dad."

"Something bad will happen and I may

never see them again."

Supporting your child to develop helpful

thinking and remind them of what usually

happens when you are away from each

other.

"You can trust me to make sure that you are

safe."

"When I leave you, you are ok and I’ll come

back for you."

How they cope with feeling afraid Giving your child some ways to cope when

they are apart from you

"I am scared and I don’t know what to do."

"Here is a kiss for you to keep in your

pocket until I come back."

"Here is a photo of us together to remind

you that we will be together again soon."

"Let’s take some deep breaths to calm us

down."

Picking up on parents’ and carers’ cues

"Mummy looks worried and upset so there

must be something wrong. Now I feel

worried or scared too!"

Being calm and helping your child to be

calm too

"Mummy seems happy and relaxed. Seems

like everything is ok. I feel safe. There is

nothing to worry about."

ELC

Toni Smallman, Group Leader, Toddlers

Toddlers

Welcome to all children and families to this new year in the Toddlers Room. We are very happy to have your

child with us and we hope it will be a great year for you too. We are ge�ng to know the individual children and

their families.

So far this year, we have had our hands and feet painted so that we have a record for our scrapbooks. We have

also painted a cover for our scrapbooks. Our scrapbooks will have a selec6on of artwork and photos that the

children have done throughout the year and will be given to your child at the end of the year. This will be

a memento of their year with us. We have all had our photos taken for our birthday chart, our communica6on

pocket and our name tags for our ports. I encourage you to help your child find their name tag and place it in

the space where they put their bag. This makes it easier for the staff to put away your child belongings into the

right bag.

We have also had plenty of play 6me outside discovering the playground. We enjoy riding the bikes and

playing in the sandpit with the trucks. We also like the slide and the boat. Water play has been a popular

ac6vity outside. Even though the children wear aprons they s6ll end up ge�ng very wet which they enjoy

immensely as it keeps them cool. We have also been blowing bubbles and then chasing them as well. Some of

the bubbles popped in our faces which was funny. We have lots of fun outside.

During inside play we have been playing with the trucks, cars and helicopters. We have some new home corner

equipment with a new fridge, stove, oven and microwave – the children really enjoy playing with this.

We have done some dancing and the children are really good dancers.

Meet the Staff My name is Sarah Watson

and I am the new Year 2

teacher. I have moved from

Newcastle to teach at the

Burdekin Chris6an College.

Recently I have had the

pleasure of ge�ng married

and here is a photo of us on

our wedding day. I am very

excited to be in Ayr and look

forward to being able to

explore North

Queensland over the coming

years. In the school holidays

we plan to explore Cairns,

Port Douglas and the

Daintree forest.

In my spare 6me I like to go to the gym, travel, cra. and reading. I love

animals and was heartbroken when I had to give away my rabbit when I

moved here. I look forward to an exci6ng year with Year 2 students.

This year we are learning about the Great Barrier Reef.

Mrs Sarah Watson

Year 2 Teacher

B & C School’s Swimming Carnival

Congratula6ons to the B & C School’s swimming carnival

age champions from BCC!

pictured below: Jake Butler and Alistair Pegg

13 students represented BCC at the B & C Schools Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 6th Feb-

ruary. They were: Jake Butler, Alistaire Pegg, Abigail Eve;s, Amelia Sutcliffe, Riley Hawkins,

Holly Dudley, Ruby Pegg, Westley Darwen, Anne Piva, Da’Sharhnae DeLandelle, Bernie Pole;o,

Amelia Pivo;o and Bree Dudfield-Robinson. All the children performed to the best of their

ability, had a great day and were excellent representa6ves of our College

Five of these BCC students were selected to compete at the Webber Shield on Tuesday 14th

February. Well done Alistair Pegg, Jake Butler, Amelia Sutcliffe, Riley Hawkins and Westley

Darwen.

Jake achieved a 3rd in the 11 yrs Breaststroke and a 5th in the Backstroke, Alistaire achieved a

2nd in the 10 yrs Freestyle and a 4th in the Backstroke, Westley achieved a 4th in the 10 yrs

Breaststroke and Riley a 7th in the 10 yrs Freestyle and Bu;erfly.

Welcome to our 2013 Preppies!!!

Swimming Carnival

RemindersRemindersRemindersReminders Lost Property

Please check the lost property basket at the College—it is overflowing with items from 2012 which will be

disposed of next month if not claimed.

Walkathon Vouchers

Please ensure your child spends their Toyworld vouchers as soon as possible as their expiry date is draw-

ing close. Toyworld have advised there are a number of vouchers s6ll to be spent!

Healthy Food Shack

Tuckshop has commenced for 2013 and is available each Wednesday. The band of volunteers always wel-

comes new faces in the tuckshop so if you can lend a hand from 9am to 11am on a Wednesday please let

Fiona in the office know. You don’t have to be cook and you don’t have to be there every Wednesday, just

whenever you have 6me.

Pick up zone

Please remember that parking in the College grounds is not permi;ed at pick up 6me (3pm). Students will

be wai6ng for collec6on under the mango tree in Chippendale Street. If you must park and walk into the

College please park OUTSIDE the school grounds and walk in.

If you are dropping off your children in the morning DO NOT park in the school grounds if you are ge�ng

out of your car. Once again park OUTSIDE the school grounds and walk in.

Please remember it is a school environment and therefore there will be 6mes that children WILL run out in

front of cars. The rules are there to protect YOUR child.

Notes/handouts to be returned to office:

• FastForward (only some students)

• A.erschool Sports training sessions permission slip—Years 5 to 7

• Newsle;er distribu6on—all of school & ELC

• Musical Instruments—home use permission slip —Years 5 to 7

• Cra. lessons—Years 2 to 4

• Interschool Sports—Years 5 to 7

Teacher Appointments

If you need to speak with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment through the office. Fiona will

take details of your availability and liaise with the teacher for their availability. All teachers have

extra-curricular ac6vi6es to a;end to a.er school so you may need to provide a couple of different days

and 6mes for a mee6ng. Please be aware that if you are speaking to your child's teacher during school

hours they are giving you their a;en6on and not the students. This isn’t fair on the students who are

either lining up wai6ng to go into class or si�ng in class unsupervised.

Healthy Food Snack

At 10am each day, every class has a Healthy Food Snack short break in their classroom. Students must

have a piece of fruit or yoghurt to eat at this 6me. Ideally a piece of fruit or vegetable (carrot s6cks etc are

preferable. UNACCEPTABLE food items are chocolate mousse, chips, chocolate etc.

Peanuts

We have a number of students with nut allergies. To assist with keeping the possibility of these children

coming in accidental contact with nuts, please do not send any peanut products with your child’s lunch.

These include Nutella, peanut bu;er, some museli bars etc. Some students can have a severe reac6on if

another child touches their skin with peanut bu;er on their fingers. We hope you can help us keep our

students safe.

2013 School Captains,

Sports Captains

and Student Council

Back row (le. to right): Felicity Zaro (Student Council),

Joshua Magatelli, (Student Council), Abby Eve;s (Student

Council)

Front row (le. to right): Jenna Power (David Sports

Captain), Anne Piva (School Captain), Mr Andrew Eve;s

(College Principal), Corey Catanzaro (School Captain), Chloe

Stephens (Student Council)

Absent: Chiara Ferrando (Jonathon)

Meet the Team Andrew Evetts—Principal

Brooke Vucetic—Prep Teacher

Heather Mackay—Year 3 Teacher

Fleur Vigerzi—Year 1 Teacher

Sarah Watson—Year 2 Teacher

Daniel Walsh —Year 4/5 Teacher

Chris Knight —Year 7 Teacher

Judy Kedar—Year 6 & Year 1 Teacher

Sandra Fowler—Year 6 Teacher

Ray Caine— IT & H&PE Teacher

Wally Ford—Music Teacher

Kim Smith—Teachers Aide & Library Assistant

Leeza Goon-Chew—Teachers Aide

Sandra Saunders—Teachers Aide

Ronda Downs—Prep Teachers Aide

Audrey Heppell—Teachers Aide

Joanna Ford—Teachers Aide

Paul Haller—Year 4/5 Teachers Aide

Jayne Orchard—Director and Team Leader—ELC

Toni Smallman—Team Leader—ELC

Gessie Wilson—ELC

Natasha Patterson—ELC

Raywin Mayor—ELC

Jill Sutcliffe—ELC

Cheryl Taylor—ELC

Rob Harper—Groundskeeper

Bronson Hutchen—Groundskeeper

Jackie Gudge—Cleaner

Zilya Bunakova—Cleaner

Rose Giardina—Financials (Church and School)

Fiona Christie—Reception/Principals Assistant