Leadership News
Deputy's Desk
Students and staff on North Campus were evacuated on Thursday 22 February due to a grass fire between College infrastructure and Peninsula Link. Local fire crews worked hard in challenging conditions to ensure the fire was contained.
Thank you to all the emergency services and College staff for the way the emergency was handled. Thank you to our parents and carers for your understanding and support as the event unfolded. We are blessed to be part of such an incredible community.
After a rather exciting start to the year, we are now settling into the routines of 2024. Classes are in full swing and students are engaged in learning both in and out of the classroom.
New Parents Dinner
We are very excited to welcome new families to the College and hope you are able to join us for our New Parents Dinner next Thursday night 29 March. You will be able to meet some of the leadership team and support staff whilst enjoying some delicious nibbles. Please refer to the Upcoming Events page for further information.
Parent Conferences
Our Primary Parent/Teacher conferences and Secondary Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences will take place on Tuesday 5 March and Wednesday 6 March. This is a wonderful opportunity to catch up and share our partnership to discuss the progress and plans for best supporting your children's education, both from school and from home. The portal is open and information has been sent, regarding how to use our online booking system, PTO, to make a time to meet with your children's teachers.
Tuesday 5 March will be a regular school day with on-campus (in person) appointments after school from 3:40 pm to 7 pm. Buses will run as normal on this day. Wednesday 8 March appointments will be online through Microsoft Te from 9am to 7pm. This will be a student-free day. Camp Australia will provide care for those already registered with the program.
If you have any questions regarding access, please direct them to hilary.mahoney@baysidecc.vic.edu.au
NAPLAN
NAPLAN (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy) tests are conducted each year for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. This year the testing period is 13-25 March. Please ensure that your child has the required book-listed headphones for these tests. Please see your child's class teacher, or Head of School with any questions, or visit the NAP website www.nap.edu.au for information and access to practice questions for familiarisation.
Families who do not want their child/ren to participate must see their Head of School and complete the appropriate forms for withdrawal. If your child is exempt, the Learning Support Coordinator will contact you to complete the necessary forms.
Carpark Expectations
Please be reminded the carparks are a shared space, and are often crowded in the afternoons at pick-up time. Our primary concern is to keep students safe. Please be patient- it is only 15-20 minutes of busyness each day. In order to ease congestion and keep traffic moving, please refer to the information sent to all families and share it with others who may be bringing your children to, or collecting them from, the College.
Carpark tip #2 There is less traffic from 3:25 pm. If you come a little later, you will be in the queue a shorter time.
Once again, it is a blessing to have you with us at Bayside this year as we partner together in Christian education. May 2024 be a wonderful year for you all.
Mrs Toni Steinbergs, Deputy Principal
Volunteering at Bayside
There are many ways for members of the Bayside community to volunteer across the College. We understand time is precious and value your partnership with the College to volunteer once a week, once a month or even once a term.
If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Community Volunteer Expressions of Interest Form at your earliest convenience. After completing this form, the College will be in contact to discuss options available.
As we are committed to child safety, all volunteers must complete the Volunteer Induction Training Online component. Please follow the link below to complete this training if you would like to volunteer.
Finance Manager Update
Term 2 College Fees are due by Friday 1st March. If you have any questions, please direct them to finance@baysidecc.vic.edu.au
Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
For holders of a valid Centrelink card
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments for eligible students to attend activities like:
- school camps or trips
- swimming and school-organised sport programs
- outdoor education programs
- excursions and incursions
If you hold a valid Centrelink Concession or Veteran Card, you may be eligible. Please note that the card must be in the parent's name. Cards in the child's name are not eligible.
Applications for 2024 are now open and will close on 28 June 2024. Please bring completed form and card to the College office or email a copy of both to the Finance Manager. Visit the CSEF website to check your eligibility.
If you require a printed version of the below form please visit College Reception. Please contact Finance Manager Helen Spink if you have any questions.
Bus Routes 2024
Families intending to use the College bus service in 2024, even as a casual, are asked to complete THIS FORM annually and contact the College office.
The form indicates how your child/ren will be using the service as well as your agreement to the Conditions of Travel for 2024.
We are unable to provide single use tickets (casual tickets) to students who are not registered to use the service.
Please reach out to Reception or our Registrar if you have any questions.
Happy Families
Our school is now subscribed to the Happy Families School Membership! Owned and run by Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s leading parenting experts, the membership offers a wealth of parenting education and resources.
We will regularly share resources available through our membership with you, including Insight Articles and Webinars. You can also access your resources at any time using the below URL (unique to our school) and the password is: happybcc
Upcoming Webinar: Breaking Point
Our children are not ok. Latest national statistics indicate that mental health challenges are at an all-time high in Australian children and youth. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders are wreaking havoc in our schools and families (not to mention the amplification of these challenges if your child is neuro-diverse). Suicide and self-harm are rising. And finding the right support and good help is increasingly challenging.
How do we know if our kids will be ok? What can we do to support their mental health and resilience? What’s going wrong, and how do we fix it? Join Dr Justin Coulson, Australia’s leading parenting expert, as he unpacks the mental health crisis enveloping our kids. He’ll cover:
- The root causes behind the deteriorating state of mental health, and who (or what) is responsible
- The tools you need to reverse this trend for your children
- Science-backed, relationship-focused strategies to remedy school refusal.
- Realistic approaches for managing screen time in a way that protects your child’s wellbeing without completely alienating them from their peers
- Creating margin in your home and family life to protect and promote mental wellness
Log into the free webinar on Tuesday 27 February 8pm AEDT *Note that the link will only work if you are already signed into your school’s page
https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/breaking-point/
B2Me: Community Business Directory
Have you discovered the Bayside Christian College B2Me profile? Its purpose is to assist in connecting trusted service providers with the College community in a way that builds valuable relationships. Consider it our very own Yellow Pages or Google!
It takes minutes to create a profile to view and support the many local services offered by members of our community. If you have a business you would like to list, please feel free to add your business profile to our group.
https://b2me.com.au/members/bayside-christian-college
