Welcome to 2017

To all families and students, welcome to the new College year. I hope each of you had a pleasant holiday with family and friends and are refreshed for the Challenges of 2017.

A special welcome to all new students to the College especially those 75 students from St James College who commence Year 11, all the new Year 7 students and those new to other year levels. In 2017 our total enrolment is 1541.

College Theme 2017:

While our Five Guiding Principles are the cornerstone of all that we do at the College, each year we take a theme for the students and staff to focus on. The 2017 theme is “Together We Learn”. The 2017 theme builds on the 2016 theme of “Education is Achieved Not Received” and emphasizes that learning is done together. Students work together, teachers work with students and teachers work with each other. This is also undertaken in partnership with you as parents, who are the first and lifelong educators of children. Our 2017 College theme “Together We Learn” invites us to share our talents and expertise with each other. As members of a learning community, we support and encourage one another to be the best person we can be. Each of us at the college has a responsibility towards others.

2016 VCE Results:

We are delighted with the results of the VCE class of 2016. There were 31 students who received a 90+ score with the Dux being Matthew Slater - 99.6. Matthew also received a perfect score in Biology. 52 students scored and 80+, 43 a 70+ and 38 a 60+. The most pleasing result was that close on 70% of the group scored above 70+. Other outstanding results were: Kyle Conway 99.15, David Antolos 98.95, Stan Mavroudis 98.8, Brad Shea 98.75 and Claude Dabare 98.55. Nathan Basile also achieved a Perfect score in English. I congratulate each of the students of the class of 2016, a fine group of young men.

Staff News:

Teaching staff commenced the 2017 school year on January 30th and spent three very full and rewarding days undertaking a Professional Learning Program. It was a pleasure to welcome new staff to our learning community. Our new teachers are Rebecca Devling (Learning Area Leader Humanities and Commerce), Carl De Souza (English, RE, Commerce and Humanities), Ray Ellwood (Religious Education and Mathematics), Caroline Furet (Beacon), Sam Kelleher (Geography and Science), Brenda McCullagh (Learning Area Leader Religious Education 7-9), Janina McLaren (Applied Learning and VET Leader), James Meade (Mathematics and Psychology), Luke Mills (Learning Area Leader Media), Victor Tanti (English, Humanities and Religious Education) and Kirk Thompson (History, Humanities and Mathematics). We also welcome Lisa Leeds and Br Doug O’Reilly who join us as Learning Support staff, working within the Beacon program.

We also extend a warm welcome to our 3 AFL Trainees who will join our community for 2017 – Samuel Browne (ICT), Brodie Amor (PE and Sport) and Mitchell Lea (PE and Sport).

Finally, welcome to Heidi Schultz and Sharon Valastro who are joining the Canteen staff team.

Share the Mission:

The College has a strong tradition of sending volunteers from Year 12 to India and 2 groups of Year 11s to Thailand to work with the needy. Ten students from the VCE class spent 2 weeks pre-Christmas building 5 houses in India. The generosity of our young people is to be respected and admired. When nations are closing borders our St Bede's College students are building bridges with the poor and needy overseas.

The Mission Action Day monies allow these initiatives to occur. The exciting news is that 3 students from the class of 2016 spent 2 weeks in Cambodia over the break working with the needy and over these coming weeks another 3 students from the same class will go to Thailand to continue the St Bede's College tradition working at the Bamboo School.

These students have raised funds themselves to allow this to happen - what generosity. The result of all these initiatives within the College has meant that we now have 5 students from the senior classes of 2015/16 who have volunteered to work overseas for the Lasallian Mission for 12 months. These students are:

Patrick Heenan (NZ); Joshua Cant (Yourtown-Sydney); Joel Harriss (Perth); Adam Heaton and Aleksandar Grizelj (PNG). We congratulate each student for their wonderful generosity.

College Expectations:

Parents have received information regarding the College uniform and College expectations. It is important that all students are supported by their parents and correct requirements for uniform are met from the beginning of the year. Information has also been sent regarding College Fees and I thank all families for your support in 2016 and hopefully your commitment in 2017.

Sympathy

Condolences