Bayside Christian College

Leadership Report

Principal's Piece

Strengthening Our College Community

Thank you for your voice in our recent Semester 1 Feedback Survey — your feedback is shaping our future.

 

Recently, we invited parents to share their experiences at the College this year. Your insights are invaluable, helping us reflect, improve, and ensure we’re meeting the needs of our students and families. We know surveys aren’t everyone’s favourite task, so we truly appreciate the time and thought you put into them. To ensure transparency and show how your feedback is being used, we’re sharing some key highlights from the most recent survey.

 

Encouraging Results Across the Board

We’re pleased to report that the overall feedback was very positive:

  • Over 90% of parents feel their children’s academic, social, and emotional needs are being met.
  • 80% believe their children’s academic, social, and emotional needs are being met well or very well.

Communication and Connection

Parents noted improvements in communication and expressed confidence in knowing how to reach out to staff when needed. 

 

Our partnership with families remains a cornerstone of our approach and with 90% of parents reporting that the quality of our partnership is at or above expectations we’re committed to keeping this partnership open and effective. We’re also continuing to refine our use of Canvas, ensuring it’s a consistent and reliable tool for supporting student learning at home.

 

Celebrating Our Staff

We asked parents to share positive experiences with teachers—and the response was overwhelming! It was heartening to see so many staff members recognised for their dedication and impact. Please rest assured that every staff member mentioned will be personally informed and acknowledged.

 

Areas for Focus and Growth

While the feedback was largely positive, some areas for improvement were identified:

  • Greater consistency in teaching practices
  • Clearer student workload and expectations
  • More uniform use of Canvas and feedback to parents

These themes will be shared with our teaching teams as we continue to enhance the experience for students and families alike.

 

Our Ongoing Commitment

We know we won’t always get everything right, but we are deeply committed to working with you—through both the highs and the challenges. If you ever have concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to College staff. For ongoing issues, the relevant Head of School is always available to support you. Thank you once again for your partnership and your voice.

 

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Manning, Principal

Deputy's Report

Reflections on Change

Change is all around us—new staff joining our College, semester shifts bringing fresh electives, and even changes in friendship groups. Just as the seasons transition, so do the seasons of our lives. Yet as Christians, we take heart in knowing that God remains our constant anchor. 

 

Whether facing new opportunities, challenges, or uncertainties, we trust that His plans are good. Change invites us to grow, not in fear, but in faith, knowing God has the future. Though transitions can be difficult, they remind us to seek God’s guidance and embrace His purpose in every shift. Let us move forward with hope, knowing that in all things—big or small—God is working for our good (Romans 8:28).

 

Farewell

As we approach the end of the semester, we acknowledge several staffing changes within our College community.

 

In Administration, we farewell Helen Spink, our dedicated Finance Manager, who is retiring after faithfully serving Bayside since 2015. Helen has been a valued presence at the College—her warm conversations and generous heart will be deeply missed. We extend our heartfelt thanks and pray God’s richest blessings over Helen and her husband as they step into this new season.

 

In the Primary School, Louise Hogarty, Juli Sim, and Stacey Blashki will also conclude their time with us at the end of this term. We are grateful for their contribution to the life of the College and pray that God will guide and bless them as they pursue new paths. Families have been notified of these changes by Danielle Lupi, Head of Primary.

 

In the Secondary School, Laura Klan will take parental leave from early next term. We are excited for Laura and Zacc to welcome a new baby to their family and pray they will cherish this truly special time. 

 

New staffing updates will be announced once they are finalised.

 

Welcoming Guests from Indonesia 

Next week (17–20 June), Bayside Christian College is honoured to welcome 28 students and several staff from SMAK Penabur Gading Serpong (Penabur Christian Senior High School) in Indonesia. 

 

On Tuesday, they will lead Indonesian cultural activities with our Primary students, before joining Year 10 and 11 Bayside buddies for English immersion in classes from Wednesday to Friday. This is a wonderful intercultural opportunity to celebrate our shared Christian faith and connect with our Indonesian neighbours. It’s also a real-world chance for our students to practise their Indonesian language skills and extend hospitality to our guests. Selamat datang! 

 

Staffing Update

There are a number of roles open for applications on the College Website. Please share with your contacts who you believe would be a great fit for our College.

 

 

Student Digital Wellbeing - Parent Tools available

This is a reminder about the access you have to our Student Digital Wellbeing support, via the Qustodio Parent app. We're thrilled to invite you to join us in promoting healthy digital habits and ensuring a secure and safe online environment for your child.

 

By creating your parent account and linking it to your child, you'll be able to join us in fostering positive student online behaviours. These tools offer insights and visibility, empowering you to better understand your child's interactions with their school device and other personal devices you wish to protect as part of this offering.

If you have not yet set up your account, please contact the ICT Helpdesk for assistance.

 

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

 

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child, and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au) and on the NCCD fact sheet.

 

If you have any further questions about the NCCD, please contact the Education Support Coordinators, Jo Piening (Secondary) or Louise Van Niekerk (Primary) at the College. 

 

Reports

Semester One Reports should be available in your Sentral parent portal from the end of the day on Friday, 4 July. If you have difficulty accessing reports or logging in to Sentral, please contact the ICT Helpdesk. 

 

Mrs Toni Steinbergs, Deputy Principal