BAYVIEW Newsletter a
ISSUE 37 Monday 25 November 2013
www.bayview.vic.edu.au
2014 School Leaders; Shae Husson, Aidan Sealey, Ben Cottier & Julia Orlando
Lord, bless our school leavers now and into the future. From the Principal– Dr Michelle Kearney Last week’s Presentation night was a celebration of effort, achievement, persistence, and team work. There was such a positive energy in the Civic Hall and our Middle School Leaders and School Leaders spoke with dignity, humility and pride. We are fortunate indeed to have so many of our awards sponsored by local organisations, and we are grateful that their representatives took the time to be with us and present the awards to our students. Sergeant Darren Thomas, representing the Australian Defence Forces who provide the Long Tan Leadership Award for a student in Year 10 and Year 12 said “May I say it was an honour to respect the ADF in presenting this award, but a bigger thrill to see, hear and watch the way your Bayview students uphold their own, the school's and Christ's values. If this is the standard of our schools our nation's future is in great hands.” In my report at Presentation Night I referred to the political landscape that has kept the Bayview Board and School Leadership team busy this year. The funding debate following the Gonski review, changed legislation with the passing of the Education Act 2013 which has implications for how schools operate, and a change in government has left us at the end of November, along with every other Principal in the country, with no clear indication as to how our school will be funded in 2014, or the extent of the reporting requirements that we will be required to complete as an accountability measure. The Bayview Board and the School Leadership Team have worked assiduously in deciphering the reams of information, and miss-information that we receive from government and the education sector. As a team we have worked through the issues we faced due to the changes in the political landscape, and have made decisions for the good of Bayview and the Bayview Community. Since 1996 Bayview has been a member of the Victorian Ecumenical System of Schools. Our membership of VESS has enabled Bayview to access a supportive network. However, the changes in the Education Act brought with it changes to how schools systems would operate. The Bayview Board determined that it would now be in Bayview’s best interest to leave the system and this decision has now been approved by the Minister of Education, Mr Christopher Pyne, and the Australian Government Department of Education. What will this mean for Bayview? The Bayview Board will be able to set the direction of the College and operate within the Christian and legal framework that we are accountable to. We will be responsive to the needs of our unique and wonderful community and not the requirements of the System’s agenda. “Our happiness, security and progress are not to be in riches, greatness and favour of princes, but in having open and free access to God Almighty, from where must come our strength, light and protection” Mary Ward