There is much to celebrate at present at BDC
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
There is much to celebrate at present at BDC. In this week’s newsletter, we are celebrating our return to school, thanking our Mayor for visiting the college, congratulating the 2021 scholarship winners, recognising Mrs Lisle on a stellar BDC career and recognising Reconciliation Week.
Mayor Knight Visit
Last Wednesday, we were fortunate enough to have Her Worship the Mayor of Coffs Harbour Councillor Denise Knight spend the morning with our students and staff. Mayor Knight spent time in a Year 1 music class and then a Year 5 science lesson talking with students as well as spending time thanking teachers and support staff for their commitment to their students during the unusual times of COVID-19. Mayor Knight also supported staff by helping with temperature checks as students arrived off the morning busses.
2021 Scholarship Winners
The BDC scholarship winners have been formally acknowledged this week with group photography and an official welcome to our community. To gain a scholarship at BDC students need to excel in a number of different areas, such as sport, music, drama, visual arts, textiles and design, academics and STEM. Congratulations to the following Bishop Druitt College 2021 Scholarship recipients:
Academic Winners:
Charlotte Ricketts (BDC), Amy Woodhouse (BDC), Fynn Buttery (BDC), Ezequiel Mattarollo (BDC), Ruby Scott (BDC), plus another recipient from SJPC.
All-Rounder Winners:
Rosie Smart (CHCCS), Kaleah Doherty (BDC), Lachlan Burnett (BDC), Taj Butcher (St Augustines), Finn Toovey-Powditch (St Francis Xavier)
ATSI Winners:
Gretel Carpenter (St Augustines), Delilah Morris (Preschool), Elarna Duckett (Tyalla Public), Joshua Boyle (BDC), Koda Carey (Preschool)
Branson Ackland Winner:
Shivanshu Garg (BDC)
Performing Arts - Drama Winners:
Katherine Clerkin (BDC), Lauren Blair (Northmead Public)
Performing Arts - Music Winners:
Imogen Daymond (BDC), Joshua Walraven (BDC), Olivia Hoare (BDC), Safia Hughes Chivers (BDC)
Sporting Performance Winners:
Ellie Spain (BDC), Indigo Harris (BDC), Aria Matthews (BDC), Kden Carter (Boambee Public), Annalise Crawley (Korora Public)
Creative Arts - Textiles and Design Winner:
Ellyse Walker (BDC)
Creative Arts - Visual Arts Winner:
Brooke Parker (BDC)
There are 30 scholarship winners in total for 2021 with 10 students being new additions to our community.
The process included a rigorous application process with endorsements from public referees, selected staff and Heads of Schools.
Pictured above
Back Row: Amy Woodhouse, Joshua Walraven, Ellyse Walker, Kaleah Doherty, Ellie Spain, Imogen Daymond, Rosie Smart, Annalise Crawley, Charlotte Ricketts, Brooke Parker, Ezequiel Mattarollo, Fynn Buttery.
Middle Row: Olivia Hoare, Finn Toovey-Powditch, Indigo Harris, Gretel Carpenter, Taj Butcher, Kden Carter, Joshua Boyle, Lachlan Burnett, Aria Matthews, Shivanshu Garg, Katherine Clerkin, Ruby Scott.
Front Row: Koda Carey
Absent: Delilah Morris, Elarna Duckett, Safia Hughes Chivers (BDC) and Lauren Blair (Northmead Public), and an All-Rounder Scholarship recipient from St John Paul College.
Pentecost Sunday
I was encouraged to see Bishop Druitt College represented so strongly in the Grafton Diocese’s Pentecost Sunday Video last weekend. Thank you to Rev Naomi and her team of helpers for their strong and supportive messages to and for our region.
Congratulations Mrs Lisle
Farewell to Mrs Lisle - after 22 years of dedicated caring and professional service to the BDC community Mrs Lisle has moved to Clarence Valley Anglican School as their new Principal.
The collection of photos below were taken at Friday’s farewell celebration and this Monday’s Principal’s Commissioning Service at CVAS. Mrs Lisle is pictured with Bishop Murray.
I would also like to recognise Mrs Sarah Stokes, who has agreed to take on the role of Acting Head of Primary over the next few months.
Reconciliation Week
The message of 'In This Together' is a positive one for Reconciliation Week. The demonstrations occurring in the USA over the last week highlight the importance of continued action with respect to reconciliation and that this week is not just a historical week that is book-ended by the anniversaries of the 1967 Referendum and the High Court Mabo land rights decision. It is a week that shows that all Australians can come together to stand up for the past and build a better future.
National Reconciliation Week started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia’s major faith communities. In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Australia’s first National Reconciliation Week. In 2000, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on reconciliation. In the same year, approximately 300,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge to show their support for reconciliation - some mums and dads might remember that day!
Today, National Reconciliation Week is celebrated in schools and other organisations across the country.
Seabin Collection
The first official collection of Coffs Harbour Marina rubbish occurred this week with Mr Close learning how the Seabin was installed and how to gather and present the data to the Seabin organisation. Mr Close will now teach his Marine Studies classes these new skills and the importance of caring for our local environment.
Northern Beaches Campus - Woolgoolga
Two important steps were taken this week with respect to the addition of a BDC campus in Woolgoolga. The first step was to start generating a physical presence in Woolgoola. Our pop-up information shop has been established at 42 Beach Street to gather interest. The second step was to update our website to start gathering expressions of interest.
The new web link is - https://www.bdc.nsw.edu.au/forms/register-your-interest
If you know of parents interested in finding out more information regarding the BDC Northern Beaches Kindy to year 4 Campus please direct them to 42 Beach Street (open weekdays from 9am to 12 noon) or to contact the school to make an appointment with the Enrolments Officer, the Acting Head of Primary or the Principal.
Nick Johnstone
Principal