Bayside Bulletin Newsletter, 15 August 2023

Principal’s Message

We know that Jesus often spoke to his Disciples in parables – short, fictitious stories that convey an important principle. The Disciples specifically asked Jesus “why do you speak to the people in parables?“

The Disciples knew Jesus was trying to teach them something important in these parables, but they found often it hard to understand just what that was. So, they asked him why he didn’t just tell them directly. Why make it so hard to understand? Jesus stated:

“Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’”

Jesus appears to be telling his Disciples that his use of parables is two-fold. The first reason is so that his Disciples could learn the Kingdom’s secrets, while others, who were not among his Disciples, would be left in the dark.

To understand this reasoning it is helpful to try and understand why God would want to keep people in the ‘dark.’ Hebrews 11: 6 tells us “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. As such, I believe Jesus taught in parables to encourage us to not only learn about God and the Kingdom, but to see who amongst us will earnestly seek His messages, His teachings and ultimately seek Him in faith.

One of my favourite parables is that of the weeds. In this parable Jesus stated:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

In this parable, God is the farmer, who creates good people (wheat) but the devil tempts them away from God and they become but weeds. Those who choose a life of evil, one of darkness, those who abandon God continue to live beside God’s faithful. There is no separation of these people until judgement day.

Many of us will know people who serve other Masters; those who do not believe in God, those who do not believe that He sent His only Son to die for us. As wheat grows differently from the weed, so will God’s people live a different life from all others. We may indeed face different challenges, some that test the strength of our being and of our faith, we even face persecution because of our faith, but it is in this unshakable faith we are His wheat. Just as the wheat is subject to different pests and requires specific nutrition for its growth, so do we, as God’s people.

The challenge this brings for each of us, is in how we live our life amongst those who are not in the faith, those who have indeed succumb to temptations, and who have turned their backs on God, those who act with ill-intent. It is not our job to separate ourselves from the unfaithful, but rather to grow in the light and with the hope that through faith, more people will turn to God. More importantly, it is also a reminder that if we are to grow straight and true as the wheat, that we must continually reach for the light, and holdfast to the good soil that provides our essential nutrition.

When people do us wrong, let us not return like for like, but rather maintain our convictions, our beliefs, hold true to what is true, ensure that when needed, others are held accountable, but to always do so with grace, understanding and love.

Finally, let us all encourage our children to read these parables and to draw meaning from them, for in this understanding we grow in faith and in understanding.

Brian Grimes
Principal/CEO

Castaway Café Officially Opened

Year 11 Business

The establishment of a Castaways Café at Bayside, has created useful applied learning activities for Year 11 Business students. One of the topics for this term is Operations which involves managing and organising people, equipment, technology, processes and other resources needed in the production or providing goods and services. We spent a lesson at the Café to analyse the operational functions by identifying:

• The Café’s operating systems
• The facilities including the building, plant and equipment, pathways, seating areas and other structures on the canteen site
• Workplace health and safety
• Supply chain management
• Implementation of information technology including the cashless ordering system
• Scheduling – the number of orders the Café Manager had to prepare and deliver for first break and second break and the timetable he needs to work to ensure timely customer service.
• Inventory management
• Quality management and
• Sustainability – we noted the newly created recycling bins located in the Cafe area.

The students appreciated the answers to questions provided by the Café Manager, Simon Deane, who was able to provide information regarding supplier and inventory management.

This activity also enabled the students to understand and appreciate all the elements that have been pulled together to establish such a great addition to the school.

The other activity students completed was a Stakeholder Analysis, where a Power Interest Grid template was used to plot all the parties that have a vested interest in the Café. On completion we discussed how interpreting information on the grid can help management identify optimal communication strategies to satisfy all stakeholders.

It’s great to have real life opportunities to make learning relevant and meaningful!

Children’s Book Week

Book Week is coming to Bayside. This is an annual event organized by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA). It is a week where all Australian Schools celebrate the magic of books and a love for reading. This year’s theme for Book Week is “Read, grow, inspire.”

Bayside Christian College will be celebrating Book Week with a book character dress-up day on Tuesday 22 August. We will also have a Dress-up parade at the Basketball Courts on the morning of 22/8/23 at 8:45 am.

Program for the day
8:45 – 9:30     —  Book week dress up parade at Basketball Court
9:30 – 10:15   —  Activities in classrooms
10:15 – 10:45 —  Morning Tea

That same day there will be a Grandparents and special friends book donation sale, where books can be purchased and donated to the library. PLEASE NOTE — cash and EFTPOS available. A special plaque will be placed in the book as recognition of the contribution to the Bayside Christian College Library.

Further celebrations this week will include book character search and finds, competitions, and book arts and crafts in the library at lunch times. Each morning of Book Week from 8:00 to 8:30am we will be holding a Bargain Book Sale in the library where you can purchase books to take home and add to your collection. PLEASE NOTE – CASH ONLY. All proceeds from this sale will go to Kindness Works.

Lots of exciting things to look forward this year in Book Week. Happy Reading!

Seussical JR School Musical

Welcome to the whimsical world of Dr Seuss, where Horton the Elephant, Cat in the Hat and all of your favourite Dr Seuss characters come to life onstage in Seussical Jr. Come join Horton the Elephant as he discovers the citizens of Whoville floating on a dust speck. Immerse yourself in the Jungle of Nool during three exciting shows. Bayside Christian College students will be presenting Seussical Jr at the Hervey Bay Baptist Church on the 30th and 31st of August at 7pm and the 2nd of September at 2pm.

Science Week at Bayside Christian College

This week we are celebrating National Science Week! National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. The theme for this year is Innovation: Powering Future Industries, which incorporates the advancement in technology in all industries, especially using artificial intelligence (AI). We will have numerous displays and interactive activities on offer throughout the week. On Thursday we will be running a QR Code Scavenger Hunt. Students will use the QR codes to find the scavenger hunt questions. All students who participate will go in the running for some great Science Week prizes.

Year 6 Market Day 24 August

Year 6 have created a range of advertisements for Market Day 24 August, during breaks 1 and 2 on the basketball courts. The kids have done a great job creating these ads. Bring your money to buy some tasty treats and unique creatures.

Father’s Day Stall

Violin/Viola/Cello Lessons – Meet the Tutor: Judith Harris

• Over 30 years of performance experience (including Hobart Chamber Orchestra, Darwin Symphony Orchestra and orchestras in Kent, UK).
• Taught violin for over 25 years.
• Former strings tutor (violin, viola, cello, double bass) at Darwin’s Centre for Youth Music, Kent Music School and 2 schools in Hobart.
• Qualifications: Graduate Diploma in Education, Associate Diploma of Music Teaching, Bachelor of Arts (Music History major).
• Lessons are designed to develop students’ string playing technique with an emphasis on good posture, intonation, and tone.
• Students can expect lessons to be fun and rewarding, meeting their individual needs, while encouraging confidence in music making.

Lessons are held at the school on Mondays. Lessons are 30 minutes long and rotate weekly.

Please contact Erika Muller at erika.muller@bayside.qld.edu.au for more information.

3T Measures Up

3T had fun practicing their measuring skills. Tasks included measuring the capacity of a variety of containers, measuring the length of various objects (including arms, books and the width of the door) and weighing a collection of things from around the room to discover their mass.

Year 5 Rushing for Gold

This term in Year 5 HASS students are studying the Gold Rush and have been researching to write an information report on the history of Queensland’s gold rush. To develop their understanding and discover new information, they travelled to Gympie to explore the Gold Mine Museum. It was an informative and memorable adventure. They learnt about James Nash who first discovered gold in Gympie in 1867 and how he was referred to as the man who saved Gympie from bankruptcy, they explored the steam shed, sat in old wagons, visited an old school house, watched a blacksmith in action, viewed the flood marks and panned for gold. The students were fascinated by the stories told by the volunteer tour operators and asked insightful questions to expand their knowledge. They were excited to ply their new information into their reports and described it as the best excursion ever.

Year 9 Hass Excursion

During week three, Year 9 students had the opportunity to visit the Year 9 Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum as a part of their HASS History Unit. During this unit students investigate the historical significance of the period of the early modern world up to 1918, including significant events such as World War I. The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum is “second only to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra as a place to connect with the nation’s military past, represents, primarily with original medals, more soldiers recognised for gallantry at Gallipoli… than any other museum including the Australian War Memorial and the Imperial War Museum” (Fraser Coast Tourism and Events, 2018).
Our students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned much from the stories and information shared. They were commended by the museum operators as being “respectful, interested and very well mannered.”

Year 7 Engineering

This term students in the Year 7 elective Engineering Solutions, have had a lot of fun designing and making prosthetic hands.

Barracudas Trials Day

The first Bayside Barracudas Trials day was held on 9 August on the schol oval, with many young athletes trying out for a place in the Bayside Barracudas Rugby League Development Program. The level of talent, enthusiasm and intensity was very high, making the job of the selectors Mr Carter and Mr Bennett, extremely difficult.

Photos of the afternoon can be viewed by clicking this link:

Barracudas Trials Photos

Queensland State School Championships

Congratulations must go to Lucas Mills and Bo Hanley who were both selected to play in the Wide Bay team to play in the Queensland State School Championships which were held in Cairns recently. It was a very tough competition playing against the best Queensland football players 10–12 years old. Unfortunately, Lucas could only compete on the first two days, as he was injured for the last two. It was a great experience for him and a wonderful opportunity. Bo was voted by the opposing teams ‘Player of the Match’ twice, and nominated ‘Captain for the day’ by his coach due to his “passion, determination, leadership & technical skills”. Both are a credit to Bayside and here’s looking to the World Cup one day.

Soccer Stars

Congratulations must go to Logan and Jimmy Sparks for making it to the West Ham training camp on the Gold Coast next month. This is Logan’s second time being selected and best wishes to the boys when they go.

Ultimate! Ultimate Frisbee

Tuesday 8th August saw the Grade 6s challenge the Grade 9s at an Ultimate Frisbee game. Both had been learning the game in PE. The Grades gave nothing away before we started but the Grade 9s had their reputation to uphold. They came out firing and at the end of it all their experience and superior height advantage won them the day. It was awesome to see everyone having an great time showing excellent sportsmanship and continuing to build a positive sporting culture.

Did anyone say Gymnastics in Grade 2?

As part of their HPE curriculum, Grade 2 have been learning some gymnastics moves. Despite some trepidation initially, everyone embraced the concept and is doing extremely well. They have been learning moves such as the forward and backward roll, the cart wheel, the round off and the hand stand. Here’s aiming for the 2032 Olympics!