Secondary School
Seasons in Life
This week I had the privilege of leading a morning devotion time with my colleagues about the many different ‘seasons in life’ we all face. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly share some of the main points raised with the wider Bayside community, as I feel it’s timely for us all in our current season at the College.
In the Kumnick household, this phrase is often referred to and explained within our current context with our two children. Kate and I are especially mindful of the significance of this family discussion when we feel a season in our lives is coming to an end and another emerging. We find it helps to keep us centred, calm, whilst also reminding us of the importance of seeking God to ask that he reveal his next plan for our future.
Everything in life is temporary. The seasons of the year are a good example of this. Seasons teach us that the one constant in life is change and that we need to adapt to our current climate or be left ‘exposed’. It’s important to note here that God, his word and our souls are the exception to this rule. In the Bible, Hebrews 13:8 states that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Let’s take some time to recall the recent and rapidly changing seasons of life that we, as Australian’s, have experienced over the last four years; drought, bushfires, coronavirus, and floods along the east coast. The significance and impacts of these seasons cannot be underestimated and due to their uncertainty and devastation, it’s normal for us to question and wonder why is this all happening to us? Unfortunately, we don’t know the answers; however, God does. In Acts 1:7 it says; He (Jesus) said to them (his disciples), “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...” Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Here in the book of Ecclesiastes, it provides us with examples of seasons we'll face in life. I encourage you to read this whole chapter for greater context. What I take from this reading is that experiencing good and bad times in our lives is normal and to be expected. With this mindset change should then come as no surprise. It’s how we deal with change that matters most.
I often use a surfing analogy when trying to explain this concept to students. We will experience the good times, riding the wave, after putting in the effort to paddle out, but we will also experience the bad times, being dumped by the wave, no matter how good the surfer. The unpredictable nature of this sport is what makes it attractive to so many people. You see, depending on how you look at it, change isn’t always a bad thing to experience and endure.
We could miss the ‘perfect wave’ opportunities in life if we don’t embrace change. God promises to be with us in every season of our life. He is only a conversation away. When facing the unknown, we can trust that He is in control and looking after us and our best interests.
Sometimes in life it is impossible to avoid hardships (pain). Often, we spend much of our time trying to eliminate it as it’s uncomfortable. However, some pain is worth it to enable growth. At Bayside, our students are regularly reminded of this growth mindset concept through adopting the four elements of the Bayside Way which is centred around character development or transformation.
The Bible often refers to life’s hardships we endure as ‘tribulation’. “These things I have spoken to you, in me you have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16: 33. In other words, when one season finishes, a new season begins. I encourage us all to remember and take comfort in the good plans that God has for us and our future. I believe that by having this focus, it will help create in us a firm foundation that never sways in the face of change and all of life’s seasons. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Finally, I’d like to leave you with a short poem by Laura Fuller;
‘The seasons of our lives come and go, no order it seems.
Spring the smile of health and life,
Fall an upward climb to beauty,
Winter the barren moments of strife,
Summer the heat of stress so sultry.
A season be long or short,
Must come and go
So, we can live and grow.’
I hope that you have found some encouragement by reading this.
James Kumnick
Head of Secondary
STEP Classroom News
he STEP (Supported Transition Education Program) is a class that supports students who need significant help accessing education in mainstream classrooms. The goal of STEP is to allow the students to integrate with their peers in as many classes as they can, while also teaching them at their own pace. As well as concentrating on Maths and Literacy, there is a focus on life skills and increasing students’ skills in areas to serve them beyond school.
As part of this, the class has been working on serving the community by making meals for families in need (ordering groceries online and cooking skills) and also creating items to sell at the Community Markets (working on financial literacy and the confidence to speak to customers). It is wonderful to see their confidence grow as they participate in the Life Skills classes.
Mrs Monique Manning, STEP Teacher
Community Groups
Bike Track
A group of intrepid Years 7 and 8 students have been working hard to reshape and maintain the North Campus bike track in this term’s community group sessions. They’re working hard to improve the safety of the track and will ride in the final session for this term.
Years 7/8 Volleyball
In the first game of the season the Year 7/8 team played against Padua. In a closely contested game, Bayside won the first set 25-15, lost the second set 22-25 and went on to win the third set 25-22 after being down 18-21 to closeout the win.
The following week Bayside’s opponents forfeited, allowing the training squad to have a week of training. Shown above are the squad having separate team huddles during an intra-squad match, displaying dedication and comparative spirit in an attempt to play to the best of their abilities. The whole team lead by Captain Mitch Hooper are commended for taking their responsibility to their teammates and school seriously, whilst still having fun in the process.
Years 9/10 Volleyball
In their first game for the season Bayside took on a Woodleigh team with some experienced players. Despite being undermanned (5 players from the squad away), Bayside won all 3 sets by a score of 25-13, 25-17 and 25-20. In what was a fantastic team effort where every player contributed in some fashion, highlights included Levi Withey scoring 12 straight points in the first set to put the match on our serve, Shang Lee doing a number of blocks with high authority and co-captain Sam McDonald and Joey Gaskell consistently working as a unit to on and off the court, winning a number of hotly contested rallies. To commemorate their first win of the season, student’s bought a cake to celebrate
Years 9/10 Athletic Development Coaching
At Year 9/10 students have an opportunity to choose Athletic Development as an elective which focuses on different aspects of human performance within a sporting context. This semester’s unit “Fundamentals of sports coaching” gets students to consider a number of concepts related to what makes a ‘good’ coach, including strategies, tactics, communication skills and ethical considerations.
Over Weeks 4-6 for their final assessment, students in small groups (2-3) are running a small coaching session for a group of 7-9 other students. This involved a 30-35 minutes of prep time with their teams before competing against an opposing small group within a chosen sport in the second period.
The first session pictured above from this week, and was a hotly contested match of netball in which both groups did very well.
Years 7/8 Netball
Our Year 7/8 Girls Netball Squad have played two games as part of their SIS term 2 sports program so far this term. The first game was against Tyabb Flinders at Somerville Recreational Centre in which Bayside won (10 to 6). A great nail biter and arm wrestle type of game to be honest. Having only just been put together, the girls played really well in their first outing. In the second game, the girls played John Paul College on their home court and they were simply too strong.
A big thank you to Amanda for helping out with coaching the girls on Thursdays. The girls love having you support and coach them, as well as simply encourage them to give it their all.
Year 7 OES Surfing
Years 9/10 OES Caving
Year 11 Art
During Open Day, the Year 11 Art class participated in a resin pouring workshop. The class spent a lot of time researching and planning the concepts and ideas behind their work. It was great to see the process of them producing their artworks, and the works produced will form part of their folio for Unit 1. Here are some examples of the amazing artworks the class produced on the day.
