Faith and Mission
College Theme - Branches of Growth
This year, St Bede’s College proudly introduces Branches of Growth, the visual emblem for our 2026 theme: Be Who God Calls You to Be.
This vibrant circular graphic features an organic tree and its leaves in our College colours of blue, red, and yellow, representing growth, connection, and community. The distinct branches reflect the individual gifts our students and staff bring, coming together as one.
It beautifully celebrates that every person is Created in Love and has a place to grow.
At its heart, a striking red path wraps up the trunk toward a central cross, emphasising that Christ remains the true focus within our College life.
To keep this inspiring message close at hand, all students will receive a special Branches of Growth sticker. We encourage them to place it on their diaries as a daily reminder of their unique calling!
Faith In Action - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Sale
Shrove Tuesday is a time-honoured tradition and at our College, it is also a powerful expression of our Lasallian values. On Tuesday 17 February, our community came together across both campuses for our Pancake Sale, transforming a festive occasion into a meaningful Faith in Action initiative.
The event was a wonderful success, raising over $400 to support the vital work of Caritas Australia. These funds go directly to assist marginalised communities, reflecting our ongoing commitment to service, justice, and compassion.
The enthusiasm and generosity displayed by our students and staff were truly inspiring. It was a joy to see our community unite, sharing a meal while making a tangible difference in the lives of others.
A heartfelt thank you to all the staff members and student volunteers who generously gave their time to organise, cook, and serve, and to everyone who purchased a pancake in support of this worthy cause.
By turning our faith into action, we continue to walk in the footsteps of St John Baptist de La Salle, reaching out to the least, lost and last.
The Season of Lent
As outlined in this edition's Principal’s Update, Wednesday 18 February was Ash Wednesday and marked the commencement of the Lenten season – a season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for Easter.
A prayer service to administer ashes was led by student ‘ministers’ in Homerooms and Tutor Groups on the morning of Ash Wednesday.
Students and families are invited to prepare themselves for the season of Lent by reflecting on these questions:
- How will I make this season of Lent a time to grow closer to God and others?
- Will I take more time for prayer?
- Will I give more to those in need?
- Will I fast by focusing on your needs, rather than your wants?
Let us pray …
Merciful God, tenderly guide us through this Lenten season.
Help us to admit and recognise our wrongdoings and to seek forgiveness.
Give us the strength to change our behaviour so that we will follow you more faithfully. Amen
St John Baptist de la Salle. Pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever.
Mission Action Day – Faith in Action
Following our recent College Family Mass, St Bede’s College is proud to officially launch our Mission Action Day (MAD) campaign for 2026.
MAD is a cornerstone of our Lasallian identity. It is a day where our community stands in solidarity with those at the margins, raising vital funds for projects in outback Australia and our partner missions in India, Thailand, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.
These funds provide the essentials of dignity: education, healthcare, and clean water.
Our targets this year as set by our College Captains are clear: $90,000 and 100% student participation.
Every student has now received an email with the link to his personal MyCause fundraising page. We encourage all families to sit down together this week to:
- Share the link with extended family, friends, and colleagues.
- Promote the cause by discussing the real-world impact of these donations.
Whether a contribution is large or small, it is the collective effort of our Bentleigh East and Mentone campuses that defines our spirit of service. Thank you for your continued generosity in helping our students transform lives through the Lasallian mission.
Year 9 Retreats – The Rite Journey
A Strong Start: Year 9 Embark on The Rite Journey
Recently, our Year 9 students took a significant step in their transition from childhood to young adulthood by participating in The Rite Journey launch retreats. The experience was a resounding success, with our students engaging with exceptional maturity, respect, and openness.
The retreat offered a variety of experiences designed to challenge the students physically, mentally, and spiritually. They found stillness and connection during the Mindfulness in Creation session, and demonstrated profound reflection during the Call to Adulthood letter writing session - a moment dedicated to acknowledging the support of their parents and taking ownership of their own growth.
They also built teamwork and resilience through the Rite Journey Challenges. However, a standout moment for many was the powerful Boulder Walk. Carrying a stone up a hill, the boys were challenged to symbolically cast away the childish behaviours, habits, and attitudes they wish to leave behind, making room for the responsibilities of young adulthood.
It was a privilege for our staff to witness these boys step up and embrace the call to grow. This retreat has laid an incredibly strong foundation for the transformative year ahead.
To truly capture the impact of these days, I leave you with some reflections directly from the young men themselves:
"This retreat was about resilience, leadership, and maturity. This was such a special retreat day because we had many learnings and a better understanding of how much others look out for us. The best lesson was to help others and be the best version of yourself."
"This retreat was about growing into men and getting rid of all of our childish ways and to step up and act like a man. This is so we understand the importance of growing up and being responsible and respectful. The biggest lesson I took away from retreat was that it is time to stop acting like a child and to seriously grow up and become a man."
"This retreat was about taking the first steps into manhood. This is done by throwing your childish behaviour of the hill. The biggest lesson that I took away from retreat was that my parents have done more for me than I have done for them."
"The purpose of the retreat was to let our inner childhood behind and start embracing adulthood. This was to help us with our decision making, resilience and independence and all of these activities continue to guide you throughout the retreat. The biggest lesson I took away from the retreat was to embrace adulthood and let go the silly, immature past self you may have had."
"The big lesson I took away from the retreat is that sometimes we all need to appreciate the work our parents do for us."
"This retreat was about us realising that it was time to cast out our childish behaviours such as calling out and distracting others for attention, in order to prepare for the senior years at school and adulthood beyond that. The biggest lesson I took away from the retreat was that people mature at different rates, but they will almost all behave sensibly when they realise it truly matters."
"The retreat was about connecting and recognising your childhood before starting the transition to adulthood. The biggest lesson was the importance of silence and quiet time."
"This retreat was about reflecting to God's call to be greater people and move from childhood to adulthood. The biggest lesson was Gods earth and nature is beautiful and should be preserved."
"The purpose of the retreat is to start the transition from childhood into young adulthood. It was the start of turning away from our old immature ways and aiming to become more mature."
"This retreat was about growing up and learning how to transfer into adulthood. The biggest lesson I took from the retreat was that we can't be an adult who has childish ways. Children think the world revolves around themselves, and everyone will do everything for them, and they can get want they want forever. Being an adult is not like that, you have to learn how to do things yourself, and the world won't hold your hand anymore. An adult with childish ways is not really an adult."
"The highlights of this day were being able to leave childhood behind and move into adulthood, the day itself was great as we got to do numerous fun activities, and we also got to enjoy it with friends. My favourite activity of the day was the boulder walk as we were surrounded by cows, kangaroos/wallabies and being surrounded by nature."
"After the retreat, I will now approach Year 9 with the new responsibilities from adulthood, show loads of gratitude to my parents and teachers, and have an open and faithful mind."
Mark Micallef
Deputy Principal - Faith and Mission