Mrs Ramadan
Peace and Blessings
Dearest Bellfield Family,
This week’s weekly is a reflection of the many ideas
from parents, including co-curricular, academic, creative
arts, careers and Parent information evening. In
particular, the information on driver safety is of most
importance given the discourse of a school and the
number of children about.
I ask you to consider the safety of all children and
abide by the universal signage around campus.
Driveways and roads are for vehicles only and
therefore strictly no pedestrian access.
Parent Information Evening was an opportunity to
find out about everything you should know about your
child’s education and I thank you for embracing your
role in the parent- school partnership.
In this edition of the Senior School weekly, I have
included the article by Michael Grose - Creating a
consistent parenting storyline.
Thursday 20th
Private Buses
Students travelling to and from school via private buses should use the foot path along
the front driveway. When leaving school, students must use the Junior crossing and the
student exit pedestrian gate.
– Kiss and Drop
If travelling to and from school by car, pick up and
drop off is strictly via the school car line zone. Car
line may be accessed through the Junior school
gate, follow the road through to the senior school
library and wait in your car for your child. Children
must wait in front of the library until mum or dad
are seen to approach the library. Students are not
permitted to wait along the grass area, nor should
they be encouraged to cross carline to enter your
vehicle.
Strictly no reversing and no u turn’s around school
zones. Police regularly monitor the area and we ask
you to uphold the Road and Traffic Authority road
rules.
A successful Parent Information Evening was spent last night with Senior and Junior staff at
Bellfield College coming together to welcome, inform and inspire our dear parents.
The program began with opening welcomes from College CEO Dr Sam Jebeile, Head of Senior
School Ms Ramadan, and Head of Junior School Ms Harold. Our College executives followed this
with an outline of the major milestones the College has achieved so far as well as the vision
for the future.
Parents were provided with insights into the ethos and educational models employed at
Bellfield College in each of the major departments including CALE, STEM, and Illuminations as
well as the newest communication methods the College has implemented to ensure smooth and
efficient communication with parents.
Bellfield College was also privileged to have information stalls during the night from Western
Sydney University and the Commonwealth Bank.
Finally, parents had the opportunity to meet and greet their children’s teachers and experience
their class settings.
We ask Allah that parents found this night to be beneficial and hope to see you in our future
events.
PHONE FREE SCHOOL
MOBILE PHONE PROTOCOL
Students are provided the opportunity to hand in phones every morning at roll call.
If a mobile phone is seen, heard or used during school hours they will be confiscated
immediately and held on campus for 2 weeks.
All students are aware of the 2-week protocol.
Students late to class will receive an Afternoon Detention. Late to class can be defined simply as
‘wrong place, wrong time’. If a student is late to class / truant an entire period they are
marked as absent on the Sentral roll marking system. This is then followed up by the class
teacher and the Pastoral Care Coordinator the next day. Continued late to class / truancy may
result in further action being taken.
Homework is sent home every night. Please contact your child’s class teacher for any concerns.
Illuminations In the Name of Allah, the most
Compassionate, the most Merciful
In nearly a year, the organic cultivation of the
Bellfield College Stage 5 Book 1 Illuminations
has gratefully borne fruit. As an integral part
of the inter-disciplinary project, the Bellfield
College Illuminations syllabus features a
contemporary approach to Islamic learning
that carefully integrates the spirit of religion (ruh ad-din), namely rationality and morality, with the spirit of
our time (ruh al-‘asr) – that is the concerns and challenges typical of our twenty-first century (e.g. climate
change). As the old saying goes “The fruit doesn’t fall very far from the tree.” Here, the tree of Illuminations
is grounded in deep roots, which represent continuity with history and tradition, containing the rich diversity of
Islamic wisdom across various cultures. But the tree also stretches out its branches far, above and beyond its
base, to let the natural growth of its fruit. This symbolises the forward-looking horizon characteristic of the
Illuminations’ syllabus – not just looking at what was and what is but also what might come next.
The cornerstone of the Illuminations project rests on a pivotal worldview: “To live a God-centric Life where
every thought, sentiment and action is regulated and realised in harmony with Allah’s Will and Pleasure.” In
short, the outcome of the proposed Illuminations curriculum is to let Allah’s beautiful names and attributes
shine in our everyday life. The visual depiction of such concepts is artistically displayed on the book cover in the
picture of an illuminating tree originally painted by the French painter Raphaël Toussaint.
As outlined in the overview of the curriculum, the Illuminations syllabus is designed according to three
educational models:
Overall, the Illuminations learning objectives are organised according to 5 propositions which guide teaching,
learning and assessment:
3. Character teaching
4. Nourishing the life of the mind through critical thinking and contemplative action
5. An integrative approach to learning Islamic concepts and principles
The genesis of the Illuminations project evolved from the creative efforts of both Hassan Lami and Mohamed
Wehby. This shared intellectual project served to coalesce all research-based knowledge into one coherent whole.
Further, the Stage 5 Illuminations Book 1 is designed to be delivered through seminars, and to be taught in
tutorials. The former has the role of explicit and spiral teaching while the latter will engage students with
problem-based learning as well as group learning. It should be noted that the Bellfield College Illuminations
project is still a work in progress, which will be subject to continuous intellectual and pedagogical crafting over
the coming few years.
NSW SCHOOL VACCINATION PROGRAM
Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National
Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program.
In 2020 the following vaccines will be offered to Year 7 students:
YEARS VACCINE NUMBER OF DOSES
Year 7 Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine - Gardasil 9 2-doses – 6 months apart
Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis vaccine - dTpa Boostrix Single dose
YEARS VACCINE NUMBER OF DOSES
Year 10
Single dose
Year 7 students will bring home a Parent Information Kit which includes an information sheet, consent form and
privacy statement. To consent to the vaccination of your child, parents/guardians are advised to:
• read all the information provided.
• complete the consent form, sign your name next to the vaccine/s you want your child to receive.
• return the completed consent form to your child’s school.
• ensure that your child eats breakfast on the day of the school vaccination clinic.
Please note that, to improve vaccination completion, students:
• be opportunistically vaccinated for any missed doses during Year 7 or Year 8 (for HPV and dTpa vaccination).
• there is no need to go to the GP unless this is your personal preference.
Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so by writing to the school Principal
or phoning the school. The procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health website at
www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/ Pages/withdraw_consent.aspx.
A Record of Vaccination will be provided to each student vaccinated at each clinic as a paper card. Details about vaccinations given at school will also be uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to support complete vaccination histories, which can be downloaded via MyGov. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the SWSLHD Public Health Unit on 1300 055 066. Dates of Immunisation Year 7 – Tuesday 24th March 2020 Year 10 – Tuesday 1st September 2020
number and home address
0430 842 666
college. We only allow 2 school weeks’ leave
maximum during a calendar year. Any
families who are in breach of our travel
policy will be asked to repeat their
current grade.
Compression classes will not be granted
leave during term time.
the College, please be advised that 10
weeks’ notice is required
weeks’ notice of withdrawing from the
college, a term’s fees will be charged to
your account.
don’t hesitate to contact the
administration staff.
Stage 6
Mathematics Workshop
Every Monday from 4pm to 5pm in the College Library.
Year 7 are currently studying the unit Autobiographies and Biographies with a focus on the
Autobiographical novel I am Malala: The girl who stood up for education and changed the world.
Students have been reading extracts of the texts and looking at the writing conventions of the genre.
Miss Derbasi has created a weekly “Bellfield Talks” segment to encourage students to talk about
their own lives, views on education and the world around them. This weekly activity helps to pave the
way for assessment writing where students need to write about their own life experiences and journey
to date.
Well done to Year 7 for taking on the challenge of opening up and getting to know one another!
Miss Derbasi
Bellfield College Swimming Carnival was held on the Monday 3rd February. It was amazing to see all
the students and teachers getting involved and enjoying the day.
The official winners of the day were the Blue team with an outstanding amount of points and
participation from all their swimmers.
Inside the girls area there was a lot of noise being made with chants being heard blocks away. It
was evident that the girls were competing and enjoying the atmosphere created. The final relay event
saw Mrs Dowley motivating students to get out of their comfort zone and enter the race which
seemed impossible before the day started. A huge thank you to all female teachers involved with the
girl’s carnival.
Although the boys weren’t as loud during the whole event, there definitely was sparks during the
student and teacher race. For the second year running, the race has become a world stage event with
news coverage and live viewing. It was written all along, the teachers would be victorious once again
and stay on their thrown as champions.
At the end of the carnival, we were given with positive feedback about our carnival, the cleanliness
and the behaviour of students from start till finish.
I would like to thank all the teachers for their contribution during the day. It was great to see their
involvement and excitement of the day.
Kind regards,
Hussein Akil
Prepare the correct uniform and place it
out for the day ahead. Check:
o Shirt
o School socks
next day
o Pack your computer device
o Dress in the correct uniform
Year 8 HSIE has been delving into the ways that Landforms and Landscapes are miraculously
formed and developed over time. How you may ask? Well, through the breaking down of
weathering, erosion and deposition of course! (See what I did there!?)
Students have been delving into these core concepts through a range of activities and tested
their understanding through a quiz faceoff to put their skills to the ultimate challenge.
Although we had a few people oppose some responses, these were rectified through tough
decisions throughout the course of the lesson. We look forward to unpacking the many levels of
the earth's magnanimity, whilst simultaneously sparking curiosity and conviction of God
throughout the course content.
“And you will see the mountains and think them solid, but they shall pass away as the passing
away of the clouds. The Work of Allah, Who perfected all things, verily! He is Well-Acquainted
with what you do”
education and training provider. Annually,
the network trains over 500,000
students in campus, workplace, online, or
distance education methods of education.
TAFE NSW visited Bellfield College on the
5th of February presenting our Year 11
and 12 students with information
about pathway opportunities in school and
post school, courses, closest campus how
to enrol, pathway into university, fees,
local job opportunities, how much students
can earn, when students can start
earning, navigating the website and more.
Ms Fatima Haidar
Are you interested in Journalism, Media and Communications?
10 lucky Bellfield College Students will be given an opportunity to participate in a
two day course ‘Media for Millennials’ with a certification on completion.
Expression of interest notes
Keep an eye out!
The Art Gallery of New South Wales invites
budding artists between the ages of 5 and 18
to submit a portrait for the Young Archie
2020 competition.
The portrait must be of a person who is special
to you – someone who is known to you and who
knows you and plays a significant role in your
life.
At the College we will be asking for entries to
be submitted on March 5th. Please submit your
entry to Mrs Hayes no later than March 5th.
There are four age categories:
• 5-8 year olds
• 9-12 year olds
• 13-15 year olds
• 16-18 year olds
About your portrait subject
We prefer that the portrait is ‘painted from life’ and that your subject has a sitting for their
portrait, like with the Archibald Prize. You may also create the portrait from memory or take
your own photograph to use for reference. The Artwork can be no smaller than A4 and no larger
than A3
Character Strength Heroes
Aqsa-Batool Housaini and Yusra Karnib: Love of Learning
Allah praises knowledge in the Quran: “He gives wisdom to whomever He wishes, and he who is
given wisdom, is certainly given an abundant good. (2:269) Prophet Muhammad (s) has said:
“Knowledge is the root of all good, whereas ignorance is the root of all evil.” Imam Ali (a) has
said: “The fountainhead of all virtues is knowledge,” and “Knowledge is life.”
Love of learning describes the way in which a person engages new information and skills
generally and/or the well-developed individual interest with which he or she engages particular
content. People with this strength are cognitively engaged; exhibit positive feelings in the
process of acquiring skills, satisfying curiosity, building on existing knowledge, and learning
something completely new. Research shows that this strength predicts positive mental and
physical health patterns, e.g. Greater engagement in education early in life protects against
cognitive impairment later in life.
Our dear librarian, Batoul Charafeddine, said that these two students, Aqsa-Batoul in senior
school and Yusra Karnib in junior school, stood out as students who love to read and access new
information. May Allah bless them on their quest to become life-long learners.
Shaykh Hamid Waqar
consistent
parenting
storyline This is typical of many comments I’ve been hearing lately from participants at our Anxious Kids seminars and workshops. It’s a healthy recognition that parent consistency is a significant element in successful parenting, particularly when facing a child’s behavioural or wellbeing challenge.
It’s also recognition that one of the biggest challenges for many couples is creating the same parenting storyline. It’s a common challenge.
You may be strict, while your partner is lenient. You may value family mealtime highly, while your partner is ambivalent about breaking bread as a family.
Differences in parenting are natural, reflecting past parenting experiences, gender differences and personal experiences of children. They are a sign of independent thinking, and can provide a sense of balance to family life.
Parents who work together need to know when to compromise, when to keep out of the way and when to present a united front. Knowing when to take each approach takes practice and depends on the issues at hand, your parenting styles and your individual values. S H A R E T H I S
Differences can be stressful
Different approaches can cause discomfort, stress and anxiety to one or both parents, particularly when communication and empathy levels are down.
In some cases, the differences can lead to inconsistent parenting where there is no agreement on rules and standards of behaviour and inconsistent follow-through when kids behave poorly. It’s like driving a car when there are two sets of road rules. There’d be accidents in the first five minutes.
Similarly, there is chaos in a family when there’s more than one set of rules. The rules and boundaries the govern children’s behaviour and family life need to be agreed upon.
Parents who work together need to know when to compromise, when to keep out of the way and when to present a united front. Knowing when to take each approach takes practice and depends on the issues at hand, your parenting styles and your individual values.
Creating the same storyline
Agreeing to the same parenting storyline as your partner takes work. It can be done whether you and your partner live together or not.
Here are some ideas to help
Keep your partner informed It helps if the primary parent can keep partners informed about what’s going on in children’s lives. These can include updates about behaviour, educational achievements and their general well-being.
Defer to your partner Kids have a habit of putting their parents on the spot, particularly with issues such as going out or buying the latest fad. Rather than responding to children’s requests yourself, get into the habit of deferring to your partner. Not only does this keep your partner in the communication loop, it helps you work as a united front.
Share insights with your partner into your own childhood and family These types of reflective conversations can lead to a deeper level of understanding and often reveal why you both feel strongly about different parenting matters.
Divide areas of responsibility Don’t keep all the responsibilities to yourself. Bring your partner into the loop and give them a share of the parenting jobs.
Communicate concerns to your partner about differences Avoid disagreeing openly in front of the children. Find a time later to air any concerns you may have and generate alternate strategies or ideas for your partner to try.
Work out your family brand. In my book Thriving, I showed parents how to establish a strong family brand. That is, work out the type of family atmosphere you’d like to establish; the values and attitudes that are important to you; your preferred parenting style and identify the family traditions and rituals you’d like to nurture.
From my experience, parents can get away with parental differences when kids are young, however it can become a big problem in adolescence. Some teenagers are become adept at driving a wedge between parents who are on different wavelengths. They generally go to the parent who will give them the answer they require when it comes to the tricky areas such as going out, access to alcohol and relationship issues.
That’s why one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is the consistency they experience when both parents work together using the same parenting storyline.
Michael Grose