Bayside Bulletin Newsletter, 13 February 2024

Principal’s Message

The pace of our lives can sometimes be so busy and daunting, so much so, that we “cannot see the wood for the trees” and sometimes life is so full of noise, that we can no longer see what is truly important. A dear friend of mine past away just after I started at the College in 2022, but before he did, he told me he was disappointed with his life, as he invested so much time in those things that, he considered now, as “really not that important”.

There are a great many times when I too get so busy that it impacts or prevents me from doing what I truly believe in my heart to be important. In each of these things, I reflect and realise that no one made those choices for me, they were entirely mine to make.

We know that Jesus “departed and went to a desolate place” (Luke 4: 42) – not just once or twice but frequently – “he would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5: 16). After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus “withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself” (Matthew 14: 13), the crowds followed him and he showed compassion, healed the sick, and then fed the five thousand. “After he has dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.” (Matthjew 14: 23)

Repeatedly, Jesus sought distance from the noise of the world to be with, and teach the Disciples, to preach the Word of God, and to pray to His Father in Heaven. In all of this, Christ himself modelled for us, the very kind of habits and rhythms of life we need in this, and in all other ages.

Jesus, however, did not only retreat to be alone with God, but he also taught His disciples to do the same (Mark 3:7 and Luke 9:10). In this, he not only modelled the need for us to be alone with God, but also to help each other to do the same in this life. If we are not listening to the Lord with our heart, mind, and soul, sometimes a gentle tap can make a wonderful difference to us and call us to a different behaviour.

In short, we need to support each other. The benefit of belonging to a community is indeed in the shared beliefs, attitudes, and purpose. It is also however, one in which we are called and obligated to encourage others and receive encouragement. With this in mind, I would like to draw your attention to the following community events:

March 2:
Family BBQ and Games Day, 2pm–5pm
Come along and meet other families.

March 4:
Community Chapel, 6.30pm–7.30pm at Hervey Bay Baptist Church
Join us in prayer; encourage each other in our relationship with God; start a relationship with God.

March 9:
Men’s Breakfast 7.30am at the College
As men we sometimes struggle to connect with other men in a meaningful way. Come along to our first ever Men’s Breakfast – meet other men and form friendships to support each other.

March 13:
Pizza and Plane Night (Mums and Children only)
6pm – come along and enjoy a fun night with your kids.

March 20:
Pizza and Plane Night (Dads and Children only)
6pm – come along and enjoy a fun night with your kids;

Sometimes we too are encouraged to down tools, to take a breath, to consider what is truly important in our world, and take the time to meet with like-minded others who can share this journey with us, to pray with them and for them, and to be in fellowship with them to further strengthen our collective faith.

Jesus took time away from the busyness and noise of the day to be with His disciples and to be alone with God. Let us here, also take the time to be with each other, to support each other, to encourage others in their commitment to God, to pray and share fellowship with others, to strengthen our bonds, and to allow them to bless us with their encouragement too.

I hope that you will prioritise these events, and will do your part to build our Christian community. If we seek it, then we must be prepared to build it. We owe this to ourselves, to our neighbours, and to God Himself.

Please watch your emails and our Facebook page for developments and details of these events! Do not simply be a bystander, but rather actively promote and develop the community culture of faith and care we seek. I pray that all will read this message and be prepared to stand for the position of faith we claim to have, and to support the development of faith in our community. Is not our faith more important than the noise around us?

Brian Grimes
Principal/CEO

Deputy Principal’s Message

Warm greetings to each of you as we enter Week 4 of the school year. Meeting our new students these last few weeks has reminded me of the beautiful truth that God has crafted each of us uniquely, blessing us with distinct personalities, skills, and strengths to contribute to His kingdom.

While the positive interactions are frequent and moments of joy triumph, we have encountered instances where some of our students have struggled to maintain positive relationships with their peers and teachers, leading to some broken friendships and displays of disrespect towards our hard-working teachers. At times, parents inquire about how we address these challenges, and the reality is that every student and situation necessitates a different approach. Our primary mission remains steadfast: to Inspire Christian Character, which means guiding our students through moments of conflict with grace and forgiveness. It is important that we view these encounters as opportunities for growth and learning, instilling in our students the values of compassion and resilience.

Just as we have all stumbled and learned from our mistakes, so too will our children as they continue along their journey of growth and discovery. With this, I humbly seek your partnership and support. When issues arise, I urge you to trust in our commitment to handle them with care and discretion, that we will maintain open communication every step of the way. Your understanding and co-operation is most certainly appreciated as we work together on this journey, to support all our children, guided by faith and dedication to nurturing hearts and minds.

Co-Curricular Activities

This week marks the start of our Co-Curricular Activities, led by our dedicated teachers. We are thrilled to offer a diverse range of options including Art Club, Baking Club, Basketball, Lego Club, MiniRoos, Readers Cup, and Drumcorp, among many others. We strongly encourage all students to explore these opportunities, where they can uncover new skills, talents, and form friendships across different year groups within the College.

Parents, kindly access the TASS Parent Lounge, navigate to Student Details, select Extra-Curricular, and click on the ‘Sign-up Available’ option in the top right corner to view and sign up for available Co-Curricular Activities tailored to your child’s year group. I look forward to hearing about the enriching experiences our students will encounter through their participation in these activities.

Creation Ministries

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth” Genesis 1:1

Last Friday, we were honoured to host Steve Muller, a speaker from Creation Ministries International, who generously dedicated his time to engage with our students. Throughout the day, Steve Muller facilitated discussions and art classes, including sessions on the intriguing topic ‘Dragons of Eden: The True History of Dinosaurs.’ In the evening, he delivered a presentation to our community titled ‘Be Prepared: How to Impact our Evolution-Soaked Culture.’ Steve’s presentation unpacked challenges in the scientific community, where the discovery of soft-tissue fossils containing red blood cells, blood vessels, and flexible ligaments has reignited the debate over origins, pitting creation against evolution. This ongoing discourse highlights the importance for scientists, regardless of their stance, to interpret evidence within the framework of their worldviews. While some perceive this debate as a clash between religion and science, it is important to recognise that belief in miracles transcends boundaries, even among evolutionists. We thank our parents and community members for joining us on Friday evening. We were truly blessed to have Steve with us last week and we look forward to seeing him return towards the end of the year.

I encourage you all to click on the following link below and share this with friends, family, and co-workers.

Dinosaurs of Eden

Family BBQ & Games

Save the date for our upcoming Family BBQ & Games Afternoon! On Saturday March 2, 2–5pm, we invite our Bayside families and community members to join us for an afternoon full of fun. This event promises plenty of engaging activities and serves as a wonderful opportunity for families to connect and build relationships with one another. Following the success of last year’s event, we are truly excited to host this event again. We are especially thrilled to welcome new families to join in the fun. It appears that our mischievous students and staff have suggested a rather adventurous activity called Dunk the Principal and the Deputy and have asked Mr Grimes and I to prepare for this! Rest assured; we will see if they dare! This event is entirely FREE, so spread the word, mark your calendars, and come join us for an afternoon of laughter, games, and community spirit!

Please RSVP for the BBQ here by Monday 26 February:

Register Here!

Galatians 6:10: “So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.”

May we all look for opportunities to extend our love and care in our community. Let us continue to be instruments of God’s work by offering a helping hand and showing our fellow brothers and sisters an act of genuine kindness. Let us shine the light of Christ through our actions this fortnight and bring hope and healing to a broken world.

May God bless you and your families.

Edelle Broadhurst
Deputy Principal

SPOTLIGHT ON THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

News From Prep Q and Prep T

Bayside Christian College welcomed 41 new Prep students this year and our classrooms have been full of love, fun and learning. We have started our gross motor program, worked on fine motor skills, explored phonemes and graphemes, numbers and counting strategies, met Hush the library possum, visited the music room with Mrs Muller and shown Mr Glover how competitive we are. Chappy Karl has taught us about the story of Creation, Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark. Wow, no wonder we are exhausted!

In our recent class discussions about narratives, Prep T explored the joys of reading various texts and explored print conventions such as front covers, titles, and characters, emphasising the roles of authors and illustrators. We engaged with Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s story, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” chanting the chorus, sequencing events, and eventually staging our own role-play after watching Rosen’s interpretation. Our Prep students truly embraced their inner actors and actresses!

Additionally, we have been exploring mathematics, with students learning to identify and demonstrate equal groups using plates and counters. In our science unit, we have been meteorologists, discussing weather types, favourite weather, and ways to stay comfortable in different conditions. Despite attempts to challenge them, Prep T astounded Ms Sewell with their intelligence, offering fantastic ideas for staying cool or cozy in various climates. In Health, we explored the journey of growth and change, from infancy through adulthood, creating timelines to visualise our development. It has been a rich and enlightening journey through literacy, numeracy, science, and self-awareness in Prep!

Miss Bishell and Ms Sewell

News From Year 5

In Year 5T, students have been learning about fact families for multiplication and division. Each day they practice their multiplication tables and look at the associated division facts. When learning about the fact families, 5 Topaz enjoyed a game where they had to find matching facts on coloured balls. As they practiced, they became faster and more confident with identifying each set of multiplication and division facts. The students then created Fact Family triangular based pyramids, where in each pyramid they were given 3 numbers and were asked to create the multiplication and division fact families. They really enjoyed the hands on experiences and developing their mathematical understanding.
Mrs Bianca Carter

During Term 1 in Science, 5 Quartz are experimenting with the properties of light. Every Wednesday, the 5Q class visits the Science lab to use the light equipment to consolidate their understanding of light. Photos show when the students needed to create shadow puppets to tell a story. The Year 5s look forward to Science every week.
Mrs Riandi van Dyk

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SENIOR SCHOOL

News From Year 11/12 Sport and Recreation

We are thrilled to share an exciting update from our Senior School! This term, our enthusiastic students in Years 11 and 12 Sport and Recreation have embarked on a thrilling journey into the world of Surf Lifesaving. Over the next six weeks, they will be immersed in a comprehensive unit that delves into the essentials of water safety, beach safety, and the myriad of activities synonymous with surf lifesaving. This engaging unit not only promotes vital lifesaving skills but also encourages teamwork, physical fitness, and a deeper appreciation for our coastal environments.

We look forward to witnessing the growth, camaraderie, and newfound knowledge our students will undoubtedly gain from this dynamic and hands-on experience. Stay tuned for updates as our students ride the waves of learning!
Mrs Belinda France

News From Years 7/8 Service Learning

Mark 12: 30 says “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength”. Students of Service Learning in Year 7 and 8 are exploring ways in which we are called to love God through the service of His children. Over the next 4 weeks the students will be spearheading a Collect a Container Competition, channelling their efforts towards fundraising for charities of their choice. During Friday’s assembly, Nikki Mullen from Express Recycling, spoke to students about the importance of recycling and how it helps the environment.

Classes in Junior School are taking part in the Collect a Container competition and the class that collects the most containers wins a big prize. Please send containers with the 10c mark and remember to remove the caps and straws and rinse all containers.
Mrs Sumé MacDonald

Year 12 Biology

Year 12 Biology students have been learning about aseptic technique and building on their microbiology skills to investigate the effect of abiotic factors on different types of bacteria, in preparation for their upcoming student experiment assessment.

Forensic Science

This week our Forensic Science students have been learning about the role toxicology plays in an investigation. Here students are toxicologists, screening a number of samples for the presence of a poison. 

LAQ Central Coast Regional Championships

Dylan and Jack Mitchell spent the weekend competing at the LAQ Central Coast Regional Championships.

Dylan won Gold in the 100m and 1500m, Silver in the 200m and discus.

Jack won Gold in the 400m, Silver in the 100m and 200m, Bronze in the Javelin and jumped a PB and placed 4th in the Long Jump.

Both have qualified for the LAQ State Titles in Brisbane in March, for all of their events. Well done to both boys!

Barracudas and the Broncos Cup

The Bayside Barracudas have started there morning training sessions getting ready for the Broncos Cup starting on Wednesday the 6th of March. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams trained exceptionally well. It will be the first time that Bayside will have a girls team in the schoolgirl competition. The Barracudas will field both boys and girls in the year 7/8 competitions.

The students were also treated to breakfast after training ready for a great day of education.
Brett Carter
Head Coach

Bayside Barracudas Presentation Dinner Newspaper Story

National Pizza Day

National Pizza Day is held annually on February 9. The Year 6 classes decided to use this opportunity to learn Maths and English through their love of pizza! Firstly, we co-created a recipe for making Pitta Pizzas, which included ingredients, materials and step-by-step instructions. Next, we made our pizzas and had to decide if we could evenly share our 5 pizzas between the 17 of us? We concluded that if we cut the pizzas into 8 slices, everyone got 2 slices each. However, we knew that this would then leave 6 slices leftover. Was that fair? We discussed this dilemma before coming up with the plan of giving the 6 Barracudas (who were at training) 1 slice each at lunchtime. Everyone got pizza in the end and we had fun learning and eating through our love of Pizza!
Mrs Amber Dohnt 6Q

Highgrove Bathroom Basketball Donation

Last week, when starting an HPE class, a representative from Highgrove Bathrooms came round the corner with a box of basketballs. He said he would bring more, which he did. Many thanks to Phil and James from Highgrove Bathrooms for donating over 30 basketballs to Bayside. It will go a long way to improving the Basketball skills of the school.

Visit Highgrove bathrooms at: Highgrove Bathrooms

OzTaggers in our Midst

Two weekends ago, Kaitlyn Kneidl and Sophie Gibson represented the Hervey Bay Humpbacks U10 girls team for Oztag in the Sunshine Coast. They played a total of 6 games in the blistering hot sun and won their last game. It was great to see them improve their technique and skill with each game that they played. Well done girls!! Congratulations from Bayside girls for having a good go.