Secondary School

Head of Secondary

Flourishing Together at Bayside in 2026

This year, the College theme is Flourishing and is based on the Scripture verse from Jeremiah 17: 7-8;

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

As we step into 2026, our Secondary theme of Flourishing Together is drawn from the rich imagery of Jeremiah 17 and also Psalm 92. In these passages, flourishing is not described as ease, comfort, or constant success. Instead, it is pictured as a tree planted by streams of water — deeply rooted, steady, and quietly fruitful over time.

For our students and families, this is an important reminder. In a secondary school context, life can feel full and demanding. There are academic expectations, assessments, co-curricular commitments, friendships to navigate, and personal challenges to overcome. Yet Scripture teaches us that true flourishing is not first about busyness or achievement — it is about where we are planted.

Jeremiah writes that the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him, is like that well-watered tree. When heat comes, it does not wither. In seasons of drought, it continues to bear fruit. This speaks powerfully to school life. Challenges will come — difficult subjects, moments of disappointment, setbacks, or pressure. Flourishing does not mean avoiding these experiences; it means being anchored deeply enough in Christ that they do not define us.

Psalm 92 adds another beautiful promise: “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish… They shall still bear fruit… they shall be fresh and flourishing.” This is a picture of sustained growth — not a quick burst of enthusiasm in Term 1, but steady development across the year and beyond.

In Secondary school at Bayside, flourishing may look like perseverance in learning, kindness in friendships, resilience through difficulty, and growth in character. It may be seen in quiet acts of integrity, in respectful conduct, in choosing unity over division, and in extending grace when it would be easier not to.

Ultimately, flourishing in a Christian school must be evident in the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Academic excellence is important, but Christ-like character is essential.

As a community of students, parents, and staff, our prayer is simple: that we would remain deeply planted in Christ. If our roots grow deeper in Him, then regardless of the season, we will flourish — individually and together — for His glory.

God Bless,

James Kumnick, Head of Secondary

Year 10 Science

Year 12 Maths Methods

I am pleased to report there has been an enthusiastic response to exam preparation lessons from my Unit 3 and 4 Maths Methods students. We are already covering exam questions from previous years so we will be more prepared for the end of year exams.

Some of the comments have been:

Brilliant, if it helps my study score, I am happy (Liam)

Helpful, it gives me time to grapple with difficult concepts (Nathan)

I thought it was good (Flynn)

It’s very helpful (Matthew)

This is good, and helpful (Orielle)

At this stage I am now opening this maths help for all VCE maths students. This does not need to be exam practice, but it can also be for students struggling with their classwork.

Peter Beissmann, Maths Coordinator

Year 10 VM My Talent Workshop

The new Year 10 VM class have been busy learning about the VM learning stream. Their first assessment task gave them the opportunity to run workshops for the rest of their class. We’ve been cooking, cleaning bikes, making bracelets and learning to draw flamingos. The students have done a wonderful job teaching their peers new skills and learning a great deal throughout this process.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

The Big Ride

Year 11 student Heath Calder is participating in the Big Ride to help raise awareness and funds for Motor Neurone Disease. The Big Ride 26 is an adventure on the Murray River, travelling over 2000km from Albury NSW to Goolwa SA.

The money raised will help fund support for the families assisting a member with MND. If you would like to support Heath and his dad on this journey you can donate by clicking on Team Insurance Advisernet group via the link below:

Upcoming Dates