Secondary

Head of Secondary

God Has Gone Before You

Life often feels like a journey filled with twists, turns, and unexpected challenges. At times, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and that uncertainty can feel overwhelming. But in the midst of it all, we can stand on this truth: God is faithful. His promises are sure, His presence is constant, and His love is unshakable. Scripture reminds us, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Even when life feels dark or confusing, God is there. He is not only with us in the present but also ahead of us in the future. It’s like He is saying to us, “I have gone before and am preparing a way. I have already put things in place—even for situations you couldn’t know were going to happen.” What a comforting thought! Long before we face a problem, God has already provided a solution. Long before we step into a challenge, He has already prepared the strength and help we will need.

Because of this, we do not need to fear or worry. Fear tells us to step back, but faith calls us to step forward. God is more than capable of handling what is beyond our control. As Psalm 46:1 declares, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” His presence is not just for when things are going well—He is present in the dark, present in the waiting, and present in the unknown.

This is not a time to shrink back in worry, but a time to lean forward in hope. God invites us to draw near so He can open our eyes to the ways He has already provided. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of His heart: “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to give you hope and a future.”

So, let’s live with anticipation, not fear. God has gone ahead, He walks beside us, and He will carry us through. Trust Him—He’s already prepared the way.

Mr James Kumnick, Head of Secondary

Australian Christian Teen Writer Awards

Year 11 student Eliza Kumnick was recently awarded joint Third Prize in the SparkLit 2025 Australian Christian Teen Writer Awards for her manuscript 'What a Beautiful Man He Is'. 

SparkLit National Director, Mr Michael Collie presented the award at today's Whole School Assembly alongside Bayside Christian College Secondary Literature teacher Mr Sam Waldron. Congratulations on this achievement Eliza!

An extract from 'What a Beautiful Man He Is':

As I stand there, 

staring at the body of the one who died for me, 

my mind is overcome.

Filled with thoughts. 

His suffering was the ultimate act of love.

A love that will never fade, never die.

I stand still, heart beating fast, absorbing the oddly beautiful sight.

The sight of my soul’s lover dead before me.

What a beautiful man he is, yet not just a man.

The son of God.

https://sparklit.org/actwa/

Launch of Issue 22 of The Overcoat 

We are excited to announce the launch of Issue 22 of The Overcoat, released on 1st September. As a publication that believes art can reflect the Gospel, The Overcoat provides our students with a unique platform to share their faith, ideas, passions, and concerns. Through writing and artwork of all forms, students have the opportunity to engage a wider audience, extending their voices beyond the classroom.

The Overcoat is printed roughly quarterly and is also forwarded to external publishers, ensuring that our students' work reaches even further. We encourage you to read the latest edition on our website and celebrate the creativity and insight of our talented young writers and artists.

Stay tuned for more issues to come and enjoy the powerful, thought-provoking content from our student community!

Year 8 Pancakes

On 26 August, three of our dedicated student representative leaders – Molly Trotter, Giselle Da Silva and Lucas Swales – joined Mr Samuel Green and Mr Josh Hill in bringing a thoughtful surprise to our Year 8 cohort.

In line with the College’s commitment to ensuring every student feels seen, valued and cared for – regardless of academic or sporting achievement – Mr Green and Mr Hill chose to bless students with a gesture of appreciation simply for being themselves. This initiative aimed to foster a warm and welcoming environment, while reminding students that although school can sometimes be stressful, it is also a privilege to be part of our vibrant College community.

Mr Sam Green, Wellbeing Mentor

Year 8 Science

As part of our Year 8 Science curriculum, we recently conducted a dissection in class, which was both a fascinating and educational experience. The dissection activity focused on studying the body systems of a fish, and it was an important hands-on approach to understanding the systems in a fish's body. 

Once we got started, we worked in small groups, each with our own fish. The first step was to carefully use a scalpel to open the fish's skin, which was a little nerve-wracking at first. Through the dissection, we identified various organs and structures like the heart, gills, and digestive system. It felt like we were uncovering a whole new world inside the animal!

The dissection provided a much deeper understanding of biology concepts. For example, we could physically see the difference between the various organs, such as the heart, kidney, stomach, and what they used as lungs: gills, which reinforced what we had learned. It was also amazing to see how the circulatory and digestive systems connected in real life. Apart from gaining biological knowledge, we also learned important practical skills, such as how to use dissection tools safely, work well with classmates, and observe anatomical details closely. It was also great to see how the fish's body worked.

Indie Blok and Alexis Wallis

Years 9/10 Agriculture

The agriculture students loved spending time with our baby goats this term and they’ve made sure they get heaps of fresh food and pats. We have also been working on the creation of a new Indigenous “Bush Tucker” garden on the North Campus.

Mr Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Year 9 Leadership Week

It is hard to believe that another Leadership week has come to an end. So much goes into this week, and thank you to all the staff whose work makes it possible. Designed around a city experience, this year’s Leadership Week, exposes students to the life of the city and the possibilities of service that empower students to step out of their comfort zones, embrace teamwork, and develop vital leadership skills. Through a series of experiences and challenges in Melbourne CBD, students are challenged to lead with purpose, compassion, and resilience, preparing them for future opportunities.

A highlight of the week was a visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where students explored the history and cultural significance of this iconic venue, fostering a sense of community pride and teamwork. At St Paul’s Cathedral, students engaged in reflective moments, connecting their faith with leadership principles. Additionally, a Bible walk and workshop with the organisation The Intersection provided a unique opportunity to explore scripture in the context of Melbourne’s vibrant urban setting, deepening their understanding of faith-driven leadership. 

The leadership, teamwork and resilience on display during this week is commendable. For many of our students, this was the first time riding the train or using public transport. It was great to see students work through the nerves and embrace the hustle and bustle of the city. Leadership Week is also about helping students to listen, support and make thoughtful decisions that take into account the needs of others. It was wonderful to see these Jesus qualities exemplified in our students. 

These qualities came to the forefront on our last day. Students partnered with Blessing Bags to complete an additional 45 bags to take their tally past 1020, and raised nearly $300 for ‘Street Peace’, with hair shaving and colouring by students and staff, inspiring the giving to help this wonderful community group. 

As we move forward, we are excited to see how our Year 9 students will apply their newfound skills and values, inspired by Christ’s example, to lead with impact in our school and the wider community.

Once again, thank you to all involved who helped bring Leadership Week together.

Mr Jay Johnson, Years 7-9 Coordinator

Years 9/10 OES

This term the 9/10 OES class have been learning about God’s creation and the impact we as humans have on this. Students have developed ways to minimise our impact on the environment both at school and at home. Students have also started to focus on safety in the outdoors. Highlights for the class have been the three excursions so far, a hike to Lysterfield Lake, Caving at Brittania and indoor bouldering. 

Mr Peter Zwiersen, Secondary PE Coordinator

Mount Hotham Snow Camp

What an amazing week we all had at Mount Hotham with the best snow conditions in late August since 2019. It’s been three years since we ran this amazing camp, and it was epic. 

Our students worked hard to learn new skills and supported each other throughout the week. They were brilliant working with our cook and learned valuable lessons in serving others. We had a beautiful sunny day to start the week before watching a huge storm roll in, providing us with sleet, gale force winds and fresh snow. 

It was intimidating as the weather closed in, but this was also very exciting as the only way young people can build resilience is to push through difficult situations and many students did this. There were so many wonderful memories created on this camp, and I feel very blessed to be a part of this incredible experience. 

Thanks so much to Andrew Manning for his support in preparing for this trip and for Shelley Cooper, Caroline de Haan and Amy Partridge for helping lead the camp. Thanks also to Brad Phillips (dad of Skylah) for encouraging and helping our students so well on camp.

Mr Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Year 11 Psychology 

Year 11 Psychology have been investigating taste and visual perception. Today we completed a blind taste test and enjoyed trying to identify the flavours of skittles without some of our senses.

Mrs Fiona Ryan, Secondary Teacher

Year 11VM 

The Village Baxter

This year, the Year 11VM class has thoroughly enjoyed spending regular times with the residents of Village Baxter, forming meaningful connections through a variety of activities—sharing stories, exchanging cards, giving flowers, creating artwork, and more. 

It’s been heartwarming to witness the joy on both the students’ and residents’ faces as they give, receive, and grow together. For many, these moments have become the highlight of their week. We look forward to seeing these special relationships continue to flourish in the future.

Blairlogie Living & Learning

Blairlogie Living & Learning is a community organisation supporting adults with disabilities in Cranbourne South. They offer programs for recreation, independent living, and community support on their peaceful six-acre property.

Our students get involved by helping with cooking and music activities, as well as garden projects like building vegetable gardens, creating paths, and tidying up leaves and branches.

Spending regular time together has been a real win for everyone involved. It’s been great to watch the students and participants connect, making new friendships and becoming more comfortable with each other over time.

The students love being part of it and are excited to keep supporting Blairlogie while making a positive difference in the community.

Mr James Siede, Secondary Teacher

Years 11/12 Chemistry

VSSEC Excursion

In year 11 Chemistry, we went on an excursion to the Victorian Space Science Education Centre in Strathmore to learn about different techniques and machinery that we don’t have in our own labs. They analysed samples, used the machines themselves, and did all the calculations, identifying if astronauts actually get space anemia. It was a really big day for us all but was well worth the trip!

Titration Competition

The Year 11 and 12 Chemistry students have entered into the Royal Australian Chemical Institute's Titration Competition. Titrations are just very accurate ways to react acids and bases together, to help us identify an unknown concentration. The challenge was to identify the concentration of ethanoic acid in double strength white vinegar. The winners will get the opportunity to participate in a Titration Off at RMIT next term. Winners will be announced next term.

Miss Amy Partridge, Secondary Teacher

Year 12 OES Cathedral Ranges

VM Working Sessions at Moonlit Sanctuary

The Year 11 VM class were able to learn about protecting Eucalyptus Koala food plants during our recent visits to the Moonlit Sanctuary. We have been blessed to be able to work with Moonlit’s expert Horticulturalist (Holly) and I’m looking forward to seeing more wonderful learning opportunities for our students unfold in the future.

VM Year 12 Food Drive

Thank you so much to our wonderful Bayside community for generously donating to the Pantry Plus food drive. Our students thoroughly enjoyed running this initiative and the Pantry Plus team were blown away by the generous donations from Bayside. Thank you to everyone, who donated food to help others struggling in our own communities.

VM Winter Shelter

Our wonderful Year 11 & 12 VM students helped set up and pack down the Winter Shelter program at Peninsula City Church. This incredible ministry helped twelve people each night during winter and our students worked hard to support this amazing program.

Finals Fever Community Market

Thanks so much to all of the people who came to the Finals Fever Community Market to help make this a wonderful community event for the Bayside family. The VM stalls and stall fees totalled just under $800, which is enormous and sponsors Aloi, Marvel and Brayen for 5 months each. Compassion sponsorship is transforming these guys' lives in the glorious name of Jesus and we are looking forward to sponsoring more young people from Indonesia in 2026.

Mr Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Southern Independent Sports

Intermediate Boys’ soccer 

The boys had a great start to the season, winning their first game easily over Padua. They worked hard and played well as a team; however the wins were harder to come by after this as we came up against some pretty tough opposition. Every game the boys played well and never game up despite the scores. 

Intermediate Boys Touch Rugby

Congratulations to our Intermediate Boys Touch Rugby team on an outstanding season! The boys played with great determination and skill, finishing as runners-up after a tough final showdown against Balcombe. Leading the team with inspiring leadership was Mitch Hooper and Reed Watson, who motivated the boys to improve week after week and always put their best foot forward.

This team’s success reflects the strong character, drive, and teamwork shown by all players: Isaac Hughes, Isaac Kidney, Jaiden Webb-Price, Zach Anderson, Mitch Hooper, Billy Ng, Aiden Snow-Cole, Reed Watson, and Evan Welch. Each player contributed to a fantastic season for Bayside Touch Rugby, and it has been a pleasure to coach such a committed and respectful group.

Well done, boys - your hard work and sportsmanship have made this term a memorable one!

Junior Girls AFL 

It has been a pleasure to coach this year’s junior girls AFL team. Each week the girls have played exceptionally well, bringing a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to each game. This positivity has resulted in the team winning three out of five games. They have played each week with a sense of pride and always displayed our college values. 

Our results were:

Round 1: Bayside defeated Rivercrest 

Round 2: Bayside defeated Casey Grammar 

Round 3: Bayside lost to Padua 

Round 4: Bayside defeated Hillcrest 

Round 5: Bayside lost to Balcombe 

Junior Girls Indoor Cricket

For the past term, all 10 of us have been attending cricket, through the wins and the losses ( we ended up with 1 game out of all of them, which we are very proud of). We may not have been successful in most of the games, but we had fun, and that is all that mattered. Some of us didn't want to get into the team, but in the end, they enjoyed the whole experience. We are very grateful for the opportunity to play, as we know some kids can’t play any sport or go to school. - Lacey Bolden

Indoor cricket has been a great experience for all of us, as it taught us great teamwork and practical skills like catching and throwing the ball. We girls learnt lots of things along the way, as at the start we had no clue what we were doing, but now we girls understand and enjoy the game more. Cricket has taught each of us great skills like hand-eye coordination and has improved our stamina a lot. We will always remember the fun bus rides and the new friends we made along the way. Cricket was so enjoyable, and we would love to see more girls try out next year. - Chloe Hoffman

SIS Athletics Carnival

This term, Bayside competed in the SIS Athletics Carnival at Casey field's athletics track. Bayside sent one of its largest teams yet with 76 students attending. There were some amazing individual performances and results with many students receiving ribbons for placing in the top 3. Overall, our school finished fourth for the day. A big thanks to all the students who attended and represented the school with pride. 

Mr Peter Zwiersen, Secondary PE Coordinator

Alumni Achievement

Charlie Stamp (Class of 2023) competing in the Scooter world championships in Japan.

Charlie graduated from the VCE VM program in 2023 and has been focussing on his semi professional scooter riding career ever since. He has just won the Oceania street event and is representing Australia and New Zealand in the world championships in Japan later this year. He’s been busy competing in America and Europe and filming videos for his sponsors.

Upcoming Dates

Scholarship Correction

Congratulations to Jayda Ryall for being selected for the Monash Scholars Program (not the Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program as previously published in Issue 5). 

This will give Jayda the chance to experience a taste of student life at the University of Melbourne first-hand, as well as the opportunity to build strong peer networks that will support her throughout her final years of school and her transition to university.

Mr Chris Alley, Years 10-12 Coordinator