Principal's Update

Good Afternoon,

As we enter the final two weeks of this term, it’s hard to believe how quickly time has passed. Our students have been working diligently, and we’re eager to celebrate all their accomplishments. There are still plenty of exciting events and opportunities ahead to look forward to.

Parent and Teacher Interviews 

On Thursday, 27th March, our first Parent and Teacher Interviews will be held for this year.

The interviews for the college, from Prep – Year 12 will be at the Paisley Campus, (Blenheim Road, West Newport), during the following times:

• Afternoon Session:              1:30 – 4:30pm
• Evening Session:                 5:30 – 7:30pm

On Monday, 23rd March, Compass will be open to take bookings. If you require an interpreter, please contact your Campus Office as soon as possible. 

I strongly encourage you to actively engage in your child's learning by booking a time to discuss with teachers. This is a great opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation with teachers who work closely with your child to improve their knowledge and skills. It is also an excellent chance to discover the types of support and guidance your child needs to thrive academically and personally.

Parent Teacher Interviews are an essential component of your child's educational experience. They highlight the importance placed on your child's learning, behaviour, and the alignment of the educational approach with the values and objectives of both the school and their home. This level of communication ensures that both parties are informed and aligned in supporting your child's development.

In the brief period available for each interview, and with the information provided in your child's Progress Record, a great deal of understanding can be gained. As a parent, you can develop a strong understanding of where your child is at this point in time, identifying areas they enjoy, challenges they face, and the goals they need to work toward for their future education.

Foundation Day 2025 - A Celebration of Community

Foundation Dayis on Friday, April 4th. This year’s theme, Community, highlights the strong connections that make our school special.

The day will begin with a performance at Williamstown Town Hall, showcasing the talents and spirit of our students. Following this, the celebrations will continue at the Williamstown Campus, where a variety of activities run by our school community will take place.

To ensure a smooth day for all:

• Altona North students will be bussed to the Town Hall.
• Paisley students must arrive at the Williamstown Campus by 8:50 AM.
• Williamstown students will arrive as normal.

Foundation Day is a fantastic opportunity to come together and reflect on the rich history of Bayside College. We look forward to celebrating with students, staff, and the wider school community.

Students will be dismissed at 2:30 pm on this day. TeamKids is available if you require care for your child in Year Levels Prep–6 from Altona North Campus. 

School Testing (NAPLAN, DAL) and English Online Interviews 

As a college, we participate in NAPLAN, a nationwide assessment that you are likely familiar with. NAPLAN is accessed by parents/carers, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments, and the wider community in various forms. The data collected can reveal whether young Australians are expanding their literacy and numeracy skills. This information helps inform various systems on how these skills can impact society in the future.

NAPLAN results allow parents/carers and teachers to observe how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy, both as individuals at a given moment and over time. This progress can then be assessed as part of their school community and against other standards. We also use this data to monitor and evaluate essential literacy and numeracy abilities as part of our school's overall performance. The results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgment regarding students' literacy and numeracy achievements and progress. However, NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality and do not replace the ongoing, comprehensive assessments made by teachers regarding each student's performance.

Other assessments and reporting processes that our students participate in are currently included in the VCAA Digital Assessment Library (DAL) for reading across years 3–10. The VCAA Digital Assessment Library (DAL) provides teachers with a collection of high-quality online classroom assessment tools linked to the F-10 Victorian Curriculum. It supports teachers in identifying students' strengths and areas for improvement, allowing for more effective lesson planning.

We are also conducting the English Online Interview (EOI) for our youngest students. The EOI is an online tool that classroom teachers use to evaluate the English skills of students from Foundation to Level 2. The EOI is a one-to-one interview between a teacher and a student, using specially designed texts and resources to complete each of the four modules in the interview. Teachers record each student's responses on the online platform, and this data is then used to generate a range of reports that provide an overview of student achievement and information to inform program planning and the allocation of resources.

This is an annual process, making it a busy time for our early and middle-year students. It also highlights the importance of students attending school regularly to be active, ready to learn, achieve, and participate.

Recognising College Production 2024

In the last edition of the Newsletter, our play, ‘The Odyssey’ was recognized through the filming that was done over the three nights of the play, at the Bangkok Movie Awards (BMA), an online award recognizing the work of talented individuals. Lachlan Boaretto, one of our previous students, spent a considerable amount of time not only filming but editing and completing the final product that was then submitted to the BMA for recognition. Lachlan has recently completed a degree in Film Production and is actively pursuing his desired career. We wish him success on his chosen career and hope that his work will continue to grow and establish himself in this industry.