Principal's Update

Welcome To Term 3

Another College Production has come and gone, but for many the excitement is still in the air. Members of the cast and crew of Treasure Island entertained audiences with their talent, energy, and dedication across the four performances. 

A huge congratulations to our phenomenal students—Kilbreda College and St Bede’s College, and dedicated staff for their incredible efforts, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along to support and cheer them on! This production was the result of countless hours of dedication from the cast and crew—attending rehearsals, refining their performances, and supporting one another along the way. Their hard work, resilience, and collaborative spirit were evident in every scene and every step they took on stage. Our students have been well supported on the journey by our dedicated, passionate, and talented staff. 

Attention has now turned to Kilbreda production of 42nd Street, now in its final few days, featuring seventeen of our students, including many in lead roles.

Again, this year we have so far had Year 12 students joining Michael Bohan (La Salle Coordinator) in donating blood to Red Cross, and there are more sessions to come.  Thank you for the excellent care provided by the Lifeblood nurses. The boys were rewarded for their efforts by knowing their donation could help save lives. The buffet of snacks and treats also helped!

Over in the sporting fields, our College competed in a derby of the ACC Soccer Grand Final, where the Year 7 Bentleigh East team triumphed over Mentone team! Well done to all boys and our gratitude to the Coaches.

For NAIDOC Week, a delegation of our students and staff attended Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place in Mordialloc. This year's theme focussed on Indigenous youth, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. Well done to Akil (Year 7), Francesco and Christian B (Year 8) for representing our 'next generation' of leaders and being the official flag raisers at the event. Our gratitude to our students and staff for participating and to DWGP community for warmly welcoming us. 

Congratulations to Thomas W (Year 12) who, representing Victoria, has been awarded Silver at the 2025 National Worldskills Championships for Plumbing.  Thomas is pursuing a career in Plumbing via his VCE-VM studies at the College and continues to perform to a very high standard in his chosen pathway.

The season for Subject Selection ahead of 2026 is now well underway and students in Years 8 to 11 will be asked to indicate their subject preferences for next year during the next few weeks. In considering options, it is important to discuss with your son his strengths, interests and post-school options and to regularly review his thoughts for the future. The recent Semester 1 reports are helpful springboards into this type of discussion. Please keep abreast of information sessions and any resources and deadlines pertaining to the subject selection process. 

The Power of 1 Percent

Now that we are under way with the second semester, our VCE students need to be narrowing the focus on preparation for the important end-of-year examinations, balancing hard work with consistency to optimise learning.  

Our Class of 2025 will be challenged to ‘pick up the pace’ as they move towards completing their respective Courses, completing SACs, finalising work projects and portfolios, completing Certificate competencies, revising and preparing for important examinations later in the year.  For these students, regardless of which pathway they have chosen, this Semester should be viewed as the culmination of many years of endeavour and application. Parent Teacher interviews on August 12, 20 & 22 provide an opportunity for families to raise matters of concern or to seek assistance. 

The following is offered for the consideration of students at all levels and for any field of endeavour.  We know that revising every day, for small increments of time, is a better strategy for learning than revising for large periods of time just before the examinations.  This theory can be likened to the impact of the aggregation of marginal gains. Small positive choices, consistently and repeatedly enacted, do not feel very burdensome in the moment, however those small positive choices lead to exponential progress as time moves forward. 

In 2010, Dave Brailsford was given a seemingly impossible task: to turn Great Britain’s professional cycling team, Team Sky, into Tour de France Champions. No British cyclist had ever won the event. But Brailsford believed in what he called the “aggregation of marginal gains”. The principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.  

The team focused not just on training and nutrition, but also on the details that many would overlook - finding the best pillow for sleep, the most effective massage gel, and even teaching riders how to wash their hands properly to avoid illness. These tiny improvements, repeated daily, compounded into a winning formula.  Brailsford predicted it would take five years to win the Tour de France. He was wrong. They won in three. 

Whilst Brailsford was coach, riders from the British team had victories in the 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Tours de France. The Great Britain cycling team continues as a powerhouse in all forms of cycling and has led the cycling medal table at recent Olympic Games.

The message from this? Success is not about one huge moment of brilliance. 

It is about consistent, small choices – the habits we build, the little things we do each day. Whether in your studies, on the sporting field, in the Arts, or in how you treat others, small actions shape the person you become.

The same is true for failure. A 1 percent drop in effort, in focus, or in respect may seem small in the moment – but over time, it compounds, and suddenly, you are far from where you would like to be.

In the beginning, there is basically no difference between making a choice that is 1% better or 1% worse. It will not impact you very much today. But as time goes on, these small improvements or declines compound and you suddenly find a very big gap between people who make slightly better decisions day by day and those who do not.

Homelessness Week

Homelessness Week originated in 2007, with various churches and missions running winter vigils to remember people who had died on the streets. These vigils were typically held in August, the coldest time of the year in Australia. The week provides an opportunity to shed light on the complexities of homelessness, challenge misconceptions, and advocate for effective solutions. By raising awareness, Homelessness Week aims to mobilise community support and influence policy decisions to address the root causes of homelessness.

Homelessness in Australia

• As of the 2021 Census, over 122,000 people were experiencing homelessness in Australia.
• Women over the age of 55 are the fastest-growing demographic experiencing homelessness.
• Domestic and family violence is a leading cause of homelessness, particularly among women and children.
• Approximately 37% of people experiencing homelessness are under the age of 25.

With the rise in the cost of living, house prices and the high cost of renting, the once-normal right to have a home has become a privilege forcing more people to sleep in their cars and on the streets. Each of these homeless people are valued and loved by God.  

Our role in society, and as Lasallians, is to advocate for the disadvantaged and support those at the margins.  Our Church, through local parishes serves with a small number of St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) members who provide so much in our suburbs to those in need. We are grateful to our students and our community for your recent support of our Vinnies Winter Appeal. 

Important Feast Days

The next couple of weeks are busy for the Catholic and Lasallian life of our College.

Friday 8 August – Feast of Saint Mary Mackillop (Saint Mary of the Cross) 

Mary MacKillop, also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, holds a special place in the hearts of Australian Catholics. She was the first Australian to be canonised by the Roman Catholic Church, a recognition that came on October 17, 2010.  Her life’s work was dedicated to the education and care of the poor, particularly in rural areas.  

In 1866, she co-founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, an order committed to providing free education to children who otherwise had no access to schooling.  Her efforts laid the foundation for a robust Catholic education system in Australia, which continues to thrive today.  She, in fact, wrote the first Australian Curriculum in outlining what should be taught by the Sisters in her schools around Australia.

Wednesday 13 August – Feast of St Benildus

St Benildus is the Lasallian Brother, who “did ordinary things, extraordinarily well”.  He looked after his students by preparing meals in the Brothers’ kitchen for hungry students, converting old Brothers’ robes into coats or pants for them, and spending hours tutoring students who learned more slowly than others. His encouragement of others to give their lives to God had him made the Patron Saint of Vocations.   

Friday 15 August – Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Assumption gives people the chance to remember and celebrate the role that Mary played in Jesus’ life and mission – to teach about the love of God and love for others. It was traditionally a Holy Day of Obligation. Mary gave her entire life to God, listening to God’s message and saying “Yes” even when it was going to make her life very difficult. 

The Assumption celebrates Mary being welcomed into God’s presence. Mary is an important role model for our school community because of her courage, grace and commitment to God.  May we seek to follow in her footsteps.  Our students will participate in liturgy to mark this very significant day in the calendar of the Church.

Per vias rectas

Deb Frizza 

Principal

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, whose ancient wisdom nurtured these lands and waters for millennia. 

We pay our respects to their elders, both past and present. 

May we always walk together by right paths.