The BCMP is a unique collaboration between Chifley College Bidwill Campus and the Blacktown News where students write and create a mainstream digital and print newspaper section that shares news about school life and the Bidwill local community. bidwill@accessnews.com.au
Edition 4 | October 2025
Online edition is hosted permanently at www.greaterblacktownnews.com.au
BY SANDRA STEPHEN AND JULIUS JAN REYES
ON August 21 two Year 11 Bidwill students, Sandra Stephen and Julius Jan Reyes attended a Blacktown City Council event as recipients of the Victor Chang Science Award.
Established in 2004 in honour of pioneering cardiac surgeon Dr. Victor Chang, this award recognises talented young students with a passion for science.
The annual School Science Awards are organised by Blacktown City Council in partnership with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
Their purpose is to encourage growthintheĜeldsofScience,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), inspiring students to pursue these disciplines at the tertiary level and beyond.
Our students attended the ceremony with their parents and grandparents, who expressed how proud they were and how this recognition would motivate their children to continue striving for academic success. Julius and Sandra were
interviewed about this tremendous achievement:
What is the Victor Chang School Science Award?
Sandra: “Victor Chang School Science Awards are given to students around Sydney and Australia who have done outstanding work in science. It’s also for commemorating Victor Chang himself. “
Julius: “Victor Chang did revolutionary work as a cardiologist / heart surgeon.”
Well, that leads me to the next question I was going to ask, which is, who was Dr Victor Chang?
Julius: “Well, if you just search up his name there's going to be a phrase which states that he was known as the most prominent doctor in the southern hemisphere. He was an amazing man, a hero who was tragically assassinated.”
Sandra: “I think someone like that who did heart transplants should be remembered, so it’s such an honour to receive this award.”
Why were you both nominated for this award?
Sandra: “I was nominated for the award for doing outstanding work in science. I don’t think it was for any one thing, but more for just being consistent over a long period of time. What I love about science is how we learn about the really deep questions, like how the universe works and how life came to Earth.”
Julius: “I'd like to think that teachers at the school nominated me because of the high grades that I got in Maths and Physics. Both subjects really go hand in hand and help each other.”
What are your goals for the future?
Julius: “I'd like to work in the Ĝeldofengineering,althoughthat’sextremely broad and I'm not really sure as to what exactly, right, as of the moment. Electrical engineering seems interesting to me.”
Sandra: “I want to be a nurse like my mum. Maybe I could become a registered nurse and then become an
educator later in life. I'm not doing a School Based Apprenticeship (SBAT) because I’m on a university ATAR pathway.”
Thisyear’sceremonywasespecially meaningful for our school, as Lochlan McRae, now a successful Physics teacher, once received the same award as one of our top Science students in 2009.
His journey is a powerful reminder of where a passion for STEM can lead. Today, Lochlan continues to inspire and nurture a new generation of students, fostering their interest and achievements in STEM.
Inreĝectingonhisownexperience of receiving the award, Mr McRae stated that “Receiving the Victor Chang School Science Award sparked my passion for science and showed me the power of discovery. It inspired me to pursue a career in teaching, so I could help ignite that same curiosity in others.”
This is a very proud and memorable moment for our school community, with the awards to also be recognised at our Annual Presentation Night at Evans Theatre, Penrith on December 9.
BY PERSAIYCE KIRIAU-PAULO
ONThursday,September4,ChiĝeyCollegeBidwill Campus celebrated its premiere community event, Bidwill Blokes Breakfast as a way of celebratingFather’sDay.Principal,NatDoidgearticulated the importance of the event to our community, saying: “Bidwill Blokes Breakfast is an annual event atChiĝeyCollegeBidwillCampuswherewerecogniseand celebrate the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, cousins and non-family male family members who care for us, mentor us and give us love. As we celebrate today we remember and honour these men who add so much to our lives and for whom without theirhelpwecouldnotdowhatwedo;andforthosesacriĜcestodayespeciallywesaythankyou,”hesaid.
Thisyear’seventwasbiggerandbetterthaneverbefore, with a carnival atmosphere created through the addition of amusement park rides such as the Super Slide, Round Up, Sizzler, Mini Ferris wheel, Dodgemcarsand‘HotShots’basketballhoopthrowing prize game. The day, which has been celebrated for well over ten years now, also included traditional events such as rock climbing, wood carving, exercise equipment competition, go kart racing, karaoke, gift bags and tractor rides.
Butbehindallthefairyĝoss,popcorn,Dutchpancakes, soft serve ice cream and hot food provided by Big Big Aloha and Ray Rayz kitchen lie the genuine desiretomakeadiđerenceforfamiliesinthearea.Community and youth outreach services which provide vital support to people in need such as Talk 2 Me Bro, Hibiscus Care Australia, Top Blokes Foundation, Talanoa, Learning Ground, the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW, the ADF and SES were all present to centre the focus of the event upon empowering local families to access resources which they may never have otherwise heard of.
ABidwillHQstađmemberrecountedthestoryofone mother who used the occasion to reach out to her estranged brother “just to call to let him know that I love him” after three years without communication.
Talk 2 Me Bro, which has a stated goal of ending male suicide, were handing out free T shirts and genuinely reaching out to local men,ođeringsupport,guidanceandasympa thetic ear to any fathers, husbands, uncles and brothers who attended the event.
Kate Bridgford, Regional Coordinator of Top Blokes Foundation said: “Top Blokes is a charity that works directly with young men in schools, delivering three-to-six-month early intervention programs.We’vepreviouslypartneredwithBidwillChiĝeyCollege,wherewe’vementoredoverthreegroups of boys - around 50 young men in total - help-
ing to build resilience, improve mental health, and strengthen important life skills. All of our programs arerunbyqualiĜedyouthworkerswholiveandworkwithin the local community.
“At the Bidwill Blokes Breakfast, we were proud to support the community and connect with the young people. We shared one of our key tools, the ALEC model - Ask, Listen, Encourage, Check-in, which helps spark meaningful conversations between mates and encourages youngmentolookoutforoneanother’smentalhealth.
We also spoke with the boys about six simple but powerful ways to look after their physical and mental wellbeing: sleep, exercise, diet, hygiene, hydration and routine. These practical strategies are easy to put intoplaceandcanmakearealdiđerencedaytoday.Thanks again for having us it was a privilege to be involved!!”
Year 10 Bidwill student, Persaiyce Kiriau-Paulo said: “This was a very good experience, it was great seeing so many fathers here today. Not many schools in Mount Druitt get the opportunity to experience days like this. Just this year I participated in two wellbeingprograms.TheĜrstonewascalled‘Talkyourwalk’,whichwasaboutsettinggoalsandshowingus how to achieve them. The second one was ‘Make yourmark’,whichwasallaboutempoweringPaciĜcIslander students to have greater self-belief and pride in where we come from.”
Bidwill Blokes Breakfast has a proud tradition in the community as it has been occurring for over 10 years now and has grown from strength to strength. It is a centrepiece event for the school and is all about community engagement, inviting families in and making them feel welcome.
ONAugust14,students,stađ,andcommunitymembersatChiĝeyCollegeBidwillCampuscelebratedNAIDOCDaytoreĝectonandhonortheplace of First Nations people in Australian culture. It’sanimportantpartoftheyearlycalendarinAustralia which takes place between August 5 and 12, with this year's theme being The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. The theme pays tribute to 50 years of NAIDOC week and highlights the rising strength and emerging leadership of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are continuing cultural traditions and shaping the future.
With approximately one third of our school student population identifying as being Aboriginal, it is a vital component of our core values, organised by a committee consisting of teachers Tegan Misdom, Bianca Beale, Krystal Te Tai, Kelly Foster, Lauren Parsons, Donovan Boney and Aboriginal Education OĔcerAuntyMarilynHill.MPforChiĝeyEdHusicwas also in attendance.
The commemoration started with lessons deliveredinclassthroughouttheschoolonthesigniĜcance of the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, which was a continuation of a series of lessons which has been delivered in classes throughout the week.
A smoking ceremony followed, led by local Aboriginal elders, Uncle David and Uncle Norman to cleanse the area of bad spirits, as had been the traditional practice of the Dharag mob.
TheĜrstdanceitemwasperformedbystudentsfromSista Speak, which is a school-based program for Aboriginal l and Torres Strait Islander girls in Australia that promotes self-esteem, cultural connection, leadership and community involvement by providing a safe and inclusive space to develop friendships, discuss relevant issues, and learn about First Nations history and cultures.
The dance depicted traditional women's roles of collecting, washing, and sharing bush foods.
The boys from Clontarf then performed a traditional hunting dance, accompanied by choir and dance students from Bidwill primary school, whilst Uncle Norman from Aboriginal band Yangkay played the didgeridoo.
Current NRL stars from the Cronulla Sharks, Hohepa and Niwhai Puru delivered a motivational speech about what their cultural heritage means to them, inspiring students to work hard, believe in themselves and never give up on their dreams. The Deadly Awards were presented to Aboriginal students who demonstrated outstanding achievement in cultural custodianship, leadership, academic and sporting pursuits.
Award recipients were for Deadly Learner - Corey Smedinga, Strong Spirit – Codi Taylor, Culture Keeper – Cooper McDeed, Community Champion – Jamilakye Young, Young Leader – Summer Morris, Deadly Creative – Bailey Thomas, Kierra Todhunter, Allaria Cobban, Taylor Mills, Janayla Smiley, On the Rise – Sharli Willie, Deadlyfemaleathlete–NgaruO’Brien,Deadlymaleathlete–StephenElderingandĜnally,thetwomostprestigious awards representing students who exemplify this year's theme, Kamira Towney and Connor McWhinney. Year 8 student and proud Wiradjuri and Dunghutti woman Kamira Towney delivered a passionate student address in which she encapsulated concepts of strength, vision, and legacy in terms of the next generation, stating that,
“HereatChiĝeyCollege,wearelucky.WehaveanAboriginal Education Team who stand beside us, guiding us, creating opportunities, and making sure we feel culturally safe and proud every day. We have a Principal and school leaders who listen to our voices, celebrate our cultures and belive in our potential. To my fellow students: Let us use our strength to face challenges, our vision to plan big, and our legacy to inspire others. Let us show the world that the next generation is ready. Ready to lead, ready to achieve, andreadytocarrytheĜreofcultureforward.Becauseoneday, the next generation will look back at us – and we will be their elders, their role models, their inspiration.”
Multiple external community and university pathway stalls provided great advice on the day, with food vendors, hospitality student catering and a free sausage sizzle for all accompanied by fun activities such astherovingNAIDOCportraitandtheĜnaloftheoztag NAIDOC Knockout, which was won convincingly byYear10overYear12,Ĝvetriestotwo.
StađmemberDonovanBoneyexpressedthebroadersigniĜcanceoftheevent,saying:”We honour the strength of First Nations people who have survived and thrived through generations of injustice, and who continue to lead with power and dignity. We acknowledge the vision of a more just and inclusive Australia – where truth-telling, equity and cultural safety are not just ideas, but values we live by in every space.”
Proud Bundjalung and Kamilaroi woman Bianca Beale, who was born and raised in Mt Druitt, summed up the occasion, saying: “I want to take a moment to thank and honour our Elders – those who have paved the way for us. Their culture, knowledge, and spirit have shaped who I am today. I carry that with me, and now I have the priviledge of passing it on to my daughter, and to the next generation standing proudly with us.”
Future initiatives will include a Welcome to Country sign posted at the front of the school which honours the memory of First Nations people whose lives were lost in the defense of their culture, which will beaĜttingcontinuationofthedeeprespectthatourschool has towards advancing the cause of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.
