Principal's Update
Principal: Milan Matejin
Dear Families and Carers,
Welcome back to the final term of 2025. As we embark on the last and busiest period of the year, I would like to take a brief look at one achievement so far. It is a great opportunity to celebrate our progress and prepare for the exciting opportunities the end of the year brings.
One of the most rewarding experiences for me has been how strongly our students began the year. Last term, our student survey results were returned from the research provider for each campus to decipher. The first year of the Schools Strategic Plan set out objectives and goals for the college to achieve over four years, and one of the measures in the student survey that we have aimed to improve.
In this year’s Attitude to School Survey, our three focus areas are Student Voice, Sense of Connectedness, and Managing Bullying. We are on target in most groups, with some strong results. In our primary and middle years, we are already at or above our 2028 targets. This is a strong start to the next four years.
The findings indicate that our students feel they are part of our school community and feel safe and happy at school. The focus for the road ahead on our exciting journey should be to address the challenges of academic achievement and attendance. These remain important challenges each year.
Update on School Strategic Plan
| Targets 2.1 | By 2028, increase the percentage of positive endorsement by students in the Attitudes to Schools Survey (AtoSS) for: | YEAR 1 |
| Student voice and agency in: | Years 4 to 6 from 65% (2024) to 70% (2028) | Years 4 to 6 - 71% (2025) |
| Years 7 to 9 from 31% (2024) to 36% (2028) | Years 7 to 9 - 39% (2025) | |
| Years 10 to12 from 38% (2024) to 43% (2028) | Years 10 to12 - 38% (2025) | |
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| Sense of connectedness in: | Years 4 to 6 from 63% (2024) to 77% (2028) | Years 4 to 6 - 81% (2025) |
| Years 7 to 9 from 37% (2024) to 44% (2028) | Years 7 to 9 - 44% (2025) | |
| Years 10 to 12 from 39 % (2024) to 47% (2028) | Years 10 to 12 - 37 % (2025) | |
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| Managing bullying in: | Years 4 to 6 from 71% (2024) to 78% (2028) | Years 4 to 6 - 89% (2025) |
| Years 7 to 9 from 34% (2024) to 44% (2028) | Years 7 to 9 - 43% (2025) | |
| Years 10 to 12 from 37% (2024) to 44% (2028) | Years 10 to 12 - 39% (2025) |
2026 Japan Study Tour
At the end of Term 3, twelve excited Year 10 and 11 students, along with three staff members, set off on an unforgettable study tour to Japan as part of Bayside P-12 College’s ongoing sister school relationship with Anjo Higashi High School.
During their time in Anjo, Bayside students attended classes with local students and stayed with host families, giving them a true taste of Japanese life and culture. They took part in a variety of classes, including English classes where they practised both Japanese and English through games and conversation, a cooking class where they learned to make wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) with a specialist chef, and a calligraphy class where they created their own art pieces along with a variety of regular classes.
Following their time in Anjo, the students travelled to Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Kawaguchiko, visiting some of Japan’s most famous landmarks and discovering what makes each city unique. Some of the highlights of the trip included:
- Travelling on shinkansens (bullet trains) and navigating Japan’s busy public transport system
- Visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park, including the iconic Atomic Bomb Dome
- Exploring Miyajima Island and meeting the friendly local deer
- Seeing Kyoto’s beautiful temples and shrines — Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Kiyomizu-dera, and Fushimi Inari Taisha
- Experiencing Tokyo’s energy at Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street, Shibuya Crossing, Ueno Zoo, Akihabara, and the Imperial Palace
- Singing karaoke in Otsuka
- Being amazed by TeamLab Borderless digital art museum
- Spending a day at Fuji-Q Highland theme park
Touring Lake Kawaguchi via boat and experiencing the breathtaking view of Mt Fuji up close
The tour was an incredible opportunity for the students to experience Japanese culture firsthand, use their Japanese language skills, build lifelong friendships, and develop independence and confidence while representing Bayside P-12 College abroad. The College is already looking forward to welcoming students from Anjo Higashi High School when they visit in July 2026 — and can’t wait for the next Bayside P-12 College Japan Study Tour in 2027!
Regards,
Mr Matejin