Primary School

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all of our Primary students who have recently been awarded with a Bayside Way certificate! 

“The Bayside Way” is summarised by four expectations:

1. Respect – e.g., showing respect for self and others in all they say and do. 
2. Responsibility – e.g., taking care of oneself, others, the College environment, one’s actions and learning. 
3. Maximise Learning – i.e., the expectation that students work hard, engage in class, remain organised, and submit their work. It’s about getting the most out of the learning opportunities. 
4. Kindness – e.g., showing compassion, caring for others and God’s creation, being thoughtful and supportive. applies across many settings: in the classroom, on excursions, during sport, travelling to/from school, and when wearing the College uniform. 

The College celebrates and acknowledges students who live out these values. Well done!

Library Books Due

A friendly reminder that all library books need to be returned before this Friday 28 November.

The library will be closed next week (including lunchtimes) for stocktake. Please encourage your child to return any borrowed books back to the library as soon as possible.

Cathy Underhill, Library Coordinator

Environment Club 

This term, our Environment Club has been busy enjoying the rewards of all their hard work in our school garden. Students harvested an abundance of carrots and quickly discovered that homegrown vegetables taste far better than those bought in the shops. We also picked a generous crop of broad beans, with many students trying them for the very first time. They learned how to shell the beans and then enjoyed them in a delicious dip and in a fresh salad made with herbs straight from our garden beds.

Many of our herbs and vegetables have now begun to go to seed. Rather than removing them, we are leaving the plants so we can collect the seeds for next year’s planting. Students are learning the valuable lesson of the full growing cycle.

We are now patiently waiting for our peach and mulberry trees to bless us with juicy summer fruit, a highlight the students eagerly anticipate each year.

It has been a year of many blessings, new skills and growing knowledge, shared by a small but wonderfully dedicated group of Environment Club members. We are thankful to God for His provision and for the perfect way He has designed our world to sustain us.

Sarah Cave, Years 3/4 Coordinator

A Joyful Week in Prep!

Our Prep students had a wonderful adventure at Bayside Farm this week! They loved meeting and feeding the goats, chickens, and sheep, and with help from Mr Goschnick, learned how each animal lives, grows, and plays a special part in God’s creation. Etana even dressed up as a little lamb, which led beautifully into a reminder that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, lovingly cares for us just as Psalm 23:1 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” 

Back in the classroom, the celebrations continued with some exciting milestones. Polly proudly lost her first tooth, our Preps finished reading the Beginner’s Bible, and everyone is kicking goals with their reading and writing. Their confidence is shining brighter every day! Our number skills are soaring too, with Ari counting past 1000 and writing out his times tables, a truly amazing achievement.

And just when we thought the week couldn’t get any more delightful… we welcomed a very special visitor: Mr Turtly the Turtle! The children were captivated by his gentle movements, watching him peek out from his shell, stretch his little legs, and toddle across the mat. We learned all about how turtles live, what they eat, and why God designed them with such wonderful protective shells. The wonder on the children’s faces was priceless!

Prep is truly a place of life, love, joy, and awe. From farm adventures to turtle discoveries, from classroom triumphs to moments of pure delight, what a brilliant week we have had!

Madura Nadarajah, Prep Teacher

Years 1/2 Visit McCrae Homestead

As part of our Integrated Studies unit on ‘Historically Significant People and Places’, the Year 1/2 students went on an excursion to McCrae Homestead. Students showed their curiosity as we toured the house, asking interesting questions and comparing it to their own homes. 

They experienced the lifestyle of people living in the 1840s, washing clothes by hand and even making their own butter. A playground was replaced with old fashioned games at lunchtime, such as skipping ropes and sack races. To finish the day, we went even further back in time, visiting a Boon Wurrung hut (Willum) and learning about bush tucker. All in all, it was a fascinating day learning about our local heritage. 

Sophie Bouwmeester, Year 1/2 Teacher

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

On the morning of 19th November we arrived at McCrae Homestead. We learnt about Georgiana and Andrew McCrae, who lived in the house in the 1840s. Did you know that the cook had to serve dinner for 14 people? Some of the walls in the house had newspaper instead of heaters to keep it warm. 

We also learnt about First Nations people who lived on the land before the McCrae family arrived. The Boon Wurrung people lived there for 5000 years. They drew pictures to help their mob know about food they could eat in the area. 

A highlight was making butter like the people living in the house used to - by hand! You have to mix the cream until it turns yellow, and squeeze the buttermilk out so it’s not sour. It was a fantastic excursion and we loved exploring this heritage place.

Jacob Turner and James Santospirito and Rosie O’Brien

My favourite part of the day was washing the clothes with our bare hands, making butter with cream, seeing the parents room and going into the Indigenous hut. It was definitely the best day of my life. - Charlotte Osborne

My favourite thing about today was washing the clothes, making butter from the olden days, looking at the mum’s and dad’s room and the girls’ room. - Indie Woods

I liked washing the clothes, making butter with cream and looking at the mum and dad’s room, and looking at the daughter’s room. - Bella Astone

My favourite part of the day was washing the clothes with our bare hands and making butter with cream. Seeing the Indigenous sleepout, seeing the kids’ and parent’s room and looking for Indigenous landmarks. I thought it was the best excursion of my life. - Abbie Millikin

My favourite part of the excursion was making butter because I liked turning the butter mixer around and it looked very cool. - Freya Sullivan

My favourite part of the day was doing the skipping race. I also enjoyed making butter using cream, I thought it was really easy to make the butter. - Noah Saltmarsh

Performing Arts News

This week in Music and Performing Arts, our students had an exciting opportunity to step into the world of professional audio recording! With the help of Mr Mann and his specialised equipment, every class was able to experience what it feels like to record vocals using real studio tools.

Students approached the session with enthusiasm, respect, and a wonderful sense of focus. They listened carefully, followed instructions beautifully, and truly put their best foot forward. For many, it was their first time using professional microphones, and it offered a fantastic glimpse into a different side of the music world—one that requires patience, teamwork, and careful listening.

We are incredibly proud of how confidently each student embraced this unique experience. Their hard work will contribute to something very special that we look forward to sharing with our school community soon!

Years 3/4 Begin Their Sister School Journey with Sekolah Harapan, Bali

Our Years 3/4 students have begun an exciting new chapter in their Indonesian learning journey, building a sister-school connection with Sekolah Harapan (Hope School) in Bali! 

Over the next two years, students from both schools will learn with and from each other through shared projects, cultural exchanges, and friendship.

To begin this partnership, each student wrote a letter in Indonesian to their new friends at Hope School, introducing themselves with details such as their name, age, year level, and their favourite book, movie, or food. These letters will soon be exchanged, allowing students to use their Indonesian language skills in a meaningful, real-world way.

In return, students in Indonesia will practise their English by writing back, creating an authentic and purposeful language exchange.

This is just the beginning of a wonderful journey of learning, sharing, and friendship between our schools. Together, we build each other up!

Years 5/6 Indonesian – Anyaman (Weaving) Project

This term, our Year 5/6 students have been exploring the Indonesian art of anyaman (weaving). They discovered that weaving is an important traditional skill in Indonesia, used to create clothes, bags, baskets, mats, hats, fans, roofs, jewellery, and home decorations.

Students then put their creativity into practice by making their own paper weaving projects, using bright colours and patterns. Using Indonesian, they described the colours of their creations and explained what their weaving could be used for.

This hands-on project beautifully connected language, art, and culture, showing how creativity and communication can be woven together!

Ibu Sari Newton, LOTE Teacher

Duplo Donations for Music

If your family has any Duplo blocks they no longer need that you are willing to donate to the Music Room to help teach students music notes they would be greatly appreciated! Please drop any donations into South Campus Reception - thank you!

Vivienne Holbrook, Performing Arts Teacher

Volunteers Afternoon Tea

To say 'thank you' for all your help throughout 2025, we would love for all our parent and carer volunteers and class carers to join us for an afternoon tea. Please save the date, Wednesday 3 December from 2:30 pm to 3:00 PM in room G16 (classroom on the right when you enter G-Block). 

Jogging Club: Only a Few Weeks Left!

We’re now in Week 8, and it’s hard to believe we’re already nearing the end of the term and the school year! With only a few weeks to go, it’s the perfect time for students to squeeze in those extra laps and work towards their next Jogging Club milestone.

When we meet:

• Monday Lunchtimes: 12:50 PM – 1:12 PM on the oval
• Friday Mornings: 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM before school Parents are welcome to join us on Friday mornings!

It’s been fantastic to see so many students committed and ticking off those laps! Who will take out the “Most number of laps in 2025” award?! 

Year 5/6 Boys’ Netball & Girls’ AFL 

Outstanding Results (and a few laughs along the way!)

Our Year 5/6 Boys’ Netball teams competed at the Jubilee Park outdoor courts this week and put in a fantastic effort across the day. Both teams played with determination, skill, and great sportsmanship—plus just enough flair to keep the spectators entertained. Our A Team finished fourth in a very competitive division, and our B Team were runners-up, an incredible achievement and definite bragging rights over the A team!

Year 5/6 Girls’ AFLOur Girls’ AFL team also had a massive day of competition, clocking up seven games, which is basically a marathon disguised as football. They won 4, lost 2, and drew 2, finishing in a fantastic fourth place overall! An amazing effort from the entire squad (and possibly a few very tired legs by the end).

A huge thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers, Danielle Jones and Michelle Wheeler, for their support. Their coaching, umpiring, encouragement, and all-round positivity made a big difference to our players and helped the day run smoothly.

And we can’t forget Tim the bus driver. He’s steady, reliable, and GOAT-like in his ability to navigate traffic, keep the vibes high, and get everyone home in one piece.

Upcoming Dates