Over 900 new students had their first taste of senior secondary education this week when they attended BSSC’s Orientation Day and the Step Up program. They came from across the district, the state, from interstate, and even a variety of international locations.
Orientation Day began with students getting a feel for the state-of-the-art facilities when they attended their first assembly at the Ulumbarra Theatre. They were welcomed by Principal Linda Lyons who encouraged students to take advantage of the college’s open door policy and draw on the support and expertise of their teachers and other staff.
She went on to outline the vital partnership between family, school and student.
“We believe every student has the potential and opportunity to go onto a positive and successful life beyond BSSC,” she said. “In the end, it all depends on attitude.”
Alongside Assistant Principals Meredith Fettling and Mark Lau, she led students through the expectations of the college and the many opportunities BSSC offers.
Music is one of those opportunities, and Billie Taylor, accompanied on guitar by Tom Hadlow, gave a fantastic rendition of ‘Back it up’ by Caro Emerald.
The packed program for the day also included a personal development session called ‘Slaying the Beast’, a ‘Race Around BSSC’ to help students get familiar with the layout of the college, and IT sessions to ensure everyone had their devices connected to the college network. A free barbecue lunch helped students recharge their batteries for the afternoon sessions.
The two-day Step Up program on Thursday and Friday gave new and returning students the chance to experience all their classes, make a start to their study program for 2018, and review their subject choices to ensure they’re ready to hit the ground running in the new year.
We caught up with a few of our new students to ask their first impressions of BSSC:
Daniel Daldy, from McGuire College, Shepparton, commented, “It’s big, but friendly. I only know one other person but that’s okay.”
Jacinta Douglas from Highview College in Maryborough said she found the environment and people very welcoming. “It’s got a good feel.”
“The school feels so big to me, but I’m really looking forward to this,” said Grace Baker from Marist College.
Kevan Coronacion, whose previous school, Pyramid Hill College, has around 100 students, was initially daunted by the size of the school. “I can already see that the overall environment is positive. It’s going to be a good year next year!”
