Primary

Head of Primary

Building Strong Partnerships at Bayside

At Bayside, we genuinely care about each and every student. Our staff knows each child personally, understanding their unique strengths, challenges, and potential. While Bayside is well known for our strong academic results — as reflected in NAPLAN, Essential Assessment, and PAT data — we are equally proud of the way we nurture and support each student with kindness and care.

Our commitment to building strong relationships with families is at the heart of what we do. Teachers regularly meet with parents, make phone calls to check in, and maintain open communication through emails. We see it as a privilege to partner with you in raising and equipping your children. Watching them grow into responsible, respectful, creative, and confident young men and women is truly an honour.

We value respectful and open communication. If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher, knowing that every staff member is deeply invested in your child's wellbeing and growth. Coming from a place of understanding and trust allows for respectful inquiry and helps us work together to support your child’s learning journey.

The importance of strong parent-school partnerships is well summarised by Raising Children Network: 

Parents who have good partnerships with schools: 

✅ Build stronger relationships with teachers and staff, improving communication. 

✅ Feel empowered to share information about their child’s strengths, interests, and needs. 

✅ Experience less stress, knowing they can work together with staff to address any concerns about their child’s learning or development.

To learn more about the value of parent-school partnerships, you can read the full article here.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you in their learning journey.

Blessings,

Mrs Danielle Lupi, Head of Primary

Introducing the Primary Worship Band

We are thrilled to introduce our Primary Worship Band, a talented and passionate group of musicians who lead us in worship at each assembly. Guided by our incredible staff musicians - Mr. Partridge (keys and guitar), Mr. Klan (drums), Mrs. Hogarty (bass), and Mrs Bouwmeester (lead vocals) - this band is all about glorifying God through music. Facilitated and guided by our wonderful new Performing Arts Teacher, Mrs Sim and Mrs Lupi. 

Our beautiful Year 5/6 singers bring their voices and hearts to worship, lifting up praise with energy and joy. A big shout-out to Liora, Beau, Daisy, Noah, Phoenix, Caleb, Zachary, Chloe, Holly, and Ziva for their dedication and enthusiasm!

Together, this team creates a powerful atmosphere of worship, encouraging our school community to sing, reflect, and celebrate God's goodness. We are so proud of them and can’t wait to see how they continue to grow in their musical gifts and faith this year!

Mrs Louise Hogarty, Primary Teacher

Primary Swimming Lessons: A Splashing Success!

We are thrilled to share that our recent Primary Swimming Lessons were a fantastic success! The students had an enjoyable and enriching experience, making great strides both in and out of the water. It was wonderful to see the students having so much fun while building essential swimming skills. 

Throughout the program, our students demonstrated enthusiasm, determination, and a genuine love for learning. Whether they were mastering basic strokes or simply improving their water confidence, every child made impressive progress. It was heartening to see them growing in confidence, forming new friendships, and challenging themselves in a safe and supportive environment.

Swimming lessons are more than just about learning to swim; they are an essential life skill that promotes physical fitness, water safety, and overall wellbeing. As a school, we firmly believe that developing swimming skills at a young age plays a vital role in ensuring that our students are safe and confident in aquatic environments. The ability to swim can be life-saving, and instilling this important skill in our students is a responsibility we take to heart.

Mrs Danielle Lupi, Head of Primary

Excellence in Learning

In Prep, we strive to make learning fun and exciting. Our first Big Write was no exception as students expressed creativity sharing their thoughts on what life would be like if they were only 10 cm tall. “Little Me” is a wonderful first narrative and includes the creation of a little person that can model the challenges of how to navigate a school day when you can’t reach your chair.

As students learn and develop at different rates we strive to cater to their individual needs and skills. Prep classes have a large range of “Task Boxes” with a variety of support, consolidation and extension tasks for students to complete as a rotation or early finisher activity. 

There are a variety of written, hands-on, open ended and group tasks that can be completed in both Maths and Literacy. These are designed to allow students to independently continue their learning in a fun and effective way.

In 1/2CJ there has been a fantastic journey of learning, growth, and teamwork! In writing, students have been developing their technical skills by exploring the features of recounts and narratives, refining their sentence structure, and enhancing their ability to engage an audience. Their creativity and attention to detail have truly shone!

In mathematics, we've been delving into the properties of 2D and 3D shapes, learning to decipher key features such as edges, faces, and vertices. It’s been wonderful to see students applying their problem-solving skills and deepening their understanding of geometry.

A highlight of the term was our much-anticipated Athletics Carnival! The day was filled with energy, determination, and incredible team camaraderie. It was inspiring to see students giving their best effort, demonstrating a healthy competitive spirit while supporting and cheering for one another.

The joy of learning is alive and well in our classroom, and I couldn’t be prouder of the enthusiasm and dedication shown by all students. 

Our clever and creative 1/2TC students have been learning about 2D and 3D shapes. They have discovered the meaning of the words edge, corner, face, and vertice and worked hard to colour, cut, and construct their chosen 3D shapes from the net. You can see their colourful 3D shapes hanging around our classroom!

In our writing lessons in 1/2NB, we have recently been focusing on creating "Sizzling Starts." We aim to engage our readers by using onomatopoeia, posing a question, or making interesting statements. The class has enthusiastically embraced this approach and is incorporating these types of starters into their Big Writes.

To showcase their skills and creativity, 1/2SB created skip-counting robots. Students used a variety of materials to colour and decorate their robots before cutting out the number strips and putting them in the robot’s tummy to reveal the number pattern. Students were also given a blank strip to challenge themselves to create their own counting pattern for their robot. 

In Year 3/4 JT, students have been acting as scientists as they draw detailed diagrams and record observations about the life cycles of plants and animals. Our marvellous mealworms are currently at the larva stage, whilst our alfalfa seeds are beginning to sprout and grow roots.

 In Year 3/4SC, we are embracing digital technologies to enhance learning and develop essential skills for the future. Students are gaining confidence in using Google Apps, organising files efficiently, and practising online safety, important skills for both learning and life. Digital tools are also supporting online assessments, helping us track progress and set goals for success.

Alongside technology, we continue to foster a deep love of reading through regular exposure to quality texts and quiet reading times. By balancing digital literacy with a passion for books, we are equipping our students to be confident, capable, and engaged learners.

This week in Maths, we explored addition and subtraction fact families through a fun, open-ended activity. Students worked creatively to find and connect number relationships, discovering how numbers are linked in different ways. Some even challenged themselves with 3-digit numbers, showing great persistence and problem-solving skills! 

It was wonderful to see everyone thinking deeply and explaining their reasoning. Ask your child to share a fact family with you at home—maybe they can even create a tricky one for you to solve!

Whilst the Year 3’s were completing NAPLAN, Year 4 utilised their creative skills to design board games that would be enjoyable to play and also educate others about how to care for God’s creation. 

Year 4 students also explored the features of 3D shapes as they folded nets to create a number of different 3D shapes, including cuboids and tetrahedrons.

In Term One, our Year 5/6 students are studying a unit on Leadership, focusing on both current and historical leaders. The goal is to help the students understand how they can positively impact and demonstrate leadership qualities, even without an official title.

As the Frankston Police play a vital role in our community as leaders, we had Tim Walker and Joel Barbera from the Frankston Police share their insights on how leadership is demonstrated within the force, the decision-making process, and how police officers contribute to the safety and wellbeing of the community.

These interactions are tailored to inspire students and allow them to connect with local leaders while learning about leadership qualities and decision-making processes.

Additionally, the Senior leadership team, the Deputy Mayor, World Vision and the Police have come and presented to the students about what leadership is to them and how even as people without badges we are all leaders here at Bayside Christian College. Next week we have Jacob Cunningham from Peninsula City Church joining us to round out our leadership unit. 

All students in 5/6MC worked diligently on their narrative writing pieces titled ‘A Special Delivery’. Here is a photo of Olive and Phoenix, who created an imaginative story, using adventurous vocabulary and humour. Well done! 

Primary Buddies

Our Buddies program is well underway, and it has been a joy to witness the wonderful connections forming between our older and younger students. There is always excitement for each session, as students come together for special activities designed to nurture friendships, build confidence, and develop a sense of belonging within our school community.

At its heart, the Buddies Program reflects the Christian values of kindness, service, and love. Older students have the opportunity to act as mentors, demonstrating patience, encouragement, and care, while younger students feel supported and valued. This mirrors the way Jesus calls us to serve and uplift one another, reminding us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to "encourage one another and build each other up."

Through shared reading, games, and collaborative learning tasks, our students not only strengthen their social skills but also grow in empathy and understanding. The Buddies Program fosters a strong, inclusive school culture where every child knows they are seen, heard, and loved.

We are so proud of the way our students have embraced their roles with enthusiasm and kindness. May this program continue to bless our school community, helping our students to walk in faith and friendship together.

Mrs Sarah Cave, Years 3/4 Coordinator

Christian Schools Basketball Championships

What a fantastic way to celebrate the long weekend and kick off Week 7! On Tuesday 11 March, our Year 6 boys and girls teams travelled to Wantirna South for an exciting day at the State Basketball Centre, competing against other Christian schools.

Coached by Mr. Hill and Mr. Partridge, both teams showed great skill, teamwork, and determination throughout the tournament.

🏀 Year 6 Girls – Third place 🥉

🏀 Year 6 Boys – Third place 🥉 

Congratulations to all the players for their hard work and sportsmanship!

Mr Jordan Partridge, Primary Teacher

Congratulations to our Swimming Superstars!

A massive round of applause to Hudson McDermott, Walter Barnes, Kai Bonnin, Jack Banks, Chase McDermott, Caleb Kidney, Logan Jones, James McFarland, Lydia Teramoto, and Lily Jones for qualifying for the Northern Division Swimming Championships on 26 March at YAWA Aquatic Centre in Rosebud!

We’re so excited for each of you — we hope you’re ready to make waves and show off all the hard work you've put in. Just remember, it’s all about enjoying every stroke... and maybe pretending you’re a dolphin for a bit. 

Best of luck to all of you – we’ll be cheering from the sidelines (and maybe hoping to steal your secret swimming tips). Go team! 

Mr Zacc Klan, Primary PE Coordinator

Exciting Start for the Environment Club

The Environment Club has had a fantastic start to the year, with many eager students, both familiar faces and new members, coming together to care for our school’s garden and animals. Their enthusiasm and teamwork have already made a big impact!

Over the past few weeks, students have been busy preparing and planting three new vegetable beds. After clearing out the remains of the summer crops (and doing plenty of weeding!), the garden is now ready for autumn. Silverbeet, kale, carrots, and a variety of fresh herbs are already in the ground, promising a delicious and healthy harvest in the months to come.

In addition to gardening, students are learning about sustainability and caring for our school’s chickens. Looking after God’s creation is a valuable responsibility, and through this program, students develop an appreciation for nature, hard work, and the joy of growing their own food. A lovely pot of pumpkin soup is soon to be made with our harvest of Summer pumpkins!

Be sure to keep an eye out for the fresh new look of our veggie patches inside the garden area! We are excited for a productive and rewarding year ahead as we continue to nurture our environment and care for God’s world together.

Mrs Sarah Cave, Years 3/4 Coordinator

GRIP Leadership Conference

On Tuesday 4 March, our student leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This engaging and inspiring day focused on developing leadership skills, teamwork, and personal growth. The conference theme, 'Lead on Behalf of Others' provided students with opportunities to connect with leaders from other schools, participate in interactive activities, and reflect on what it means to be a strong and compassionate leader.

Students shared their favourite moments and key takeaways from the day:

• Levi appreciated how the presenters connected with students and spoke from their perspectives.
• Noah H. enjoyed how all schools were included in activities, making it a collaborative experience.
• Tate valued an activity where different students showcased their unique skills, highlighting that leadership comes in many forms.
• Toby stepped out of his comfort zone by participating in a stage game, helping him build confidence.
• William was inspired by videos of students making a difference, motivating him to do the same.
• Nathanael learned the importance of speaking up for those who may not have a voice.
• Michael took away the four key responsibilities of leadership and aims to apply them in his role.
• Arlia committed to including others in social activities, regardless of differences.
• Chiara realised that setting relevant and achievable goals leads to success and self-pride.
• Ruby recognised the need to actively participate and assist others in daily activities.
• Olive found the discussion on kindness tools particularly valuable, learning how to positively influence attitudes and handle challenges with patience.

What an exhilarating day for our student leaders! They came away with incredible skills that they're ready to channel back into our school community. I couldn't be prouder of their energy and dedication to creating a positive impact!

Mr Justyn Mether, Years 5/6 Coordinator

Primary Athletics Day Recap

What an incredible day of fun, friendly competition, and athleticism at the Primary Athletics Day on Friday 28 February!

The Prep to Year 2 students kicked things off in the morning with a fantastic range of novelty games including tug-of-war, 20-meter sprints, over-and-under, target practice, and even water relays! The energy was high and the excitement even higher as the little athletes gave it their all before recess.

Meanwhile, our Year 3-6 students were in action all day, competing in a variety of Track and Field events. From speedy 70-meter sprints to the precision of discus and the heights of high jump, they showed off their athletic skills and sportsmanship throughout the entire day!

Students represented their respective houses – Yellow, Green, and Red – and the competition was fierce! After a day of fantastic performances, Red House emerged victorious with 271 points, followed by Yellow with 234 points and Green with 199 points. Well done, Red House! 

Congratulations to all the students who participated, and a huge thank you to all the teachers, staff, and parents who helped make the day such a success. It was a day filled with spirit, smiles, and memories we won’t forget.

PS: A personal heartfelt thank you to Mrs Blashki, Mrs Newton, Mrs Conrau, Mrs De Haan, and Mrs Suttie for their incredible extra support, care, and dedication on the day. Their willingness to step in and up made a world of difference, ensuring the day ran smoothly. We’re so grateful for their hard work and teamwork—this day wouldn’t have been possible without them! Thank you. 

Mr Zacc Klan, Primary PE Coordinator