Faith and Mission 

Year 9 Retreat

As part of The Rite Journey and Faith Formation program, all Year 9 students were given the opportunity to spend a day out of the classroom for The Rite Journey Retreat; a day of prayer, reflection and activities. To highlight the importance of this endeavour, we took our students off-site for their Retreat to the Don Bosco Retreat Centre at Lysterfield.  

The program included a walk up the hill through the paddocks to the great granite boulders, cooperative trust games, mindfulness activities, creative arts, discussions, and recreational games. The program aimed to be the capstone experience of The Rite Journey; a program that accompanies students on the journey from childhood to early adulthood. Our students share their experiences: 

"The Year 9 Retreat was great to say the least. It was just a chill, low-key day away from the business of school, to reflect and enjoy ourselves away from the city, at the Don Bosco Retreat Centre. 

There were multiple classes that went each day with four activities for each of the classes to rotate through. The activities consisted of a walk up to the granite boulders on a hill, where you got a great view of the surrounding area, and could sit on one of the large boulders. Another activity was mindfulness colouring, where we were able to draw or sketch a part of the land we were on. We also had a quiet session in the small chapel on the site, where we did some more mindfulness activities. The last activity was a teamwork exercise, with one of the Youth Minsters, Kyle. My favourite activities were the boulder climb and the teamwork activities, but overall, the day was very nice as it was about mindfulness and relaxation. 

An important message that I got from the day was that you are sometimes just allowed to relax and not worry about anything." Atticus 9.8 Mentone Campus 

"On Year 9 retreat, we did a lot of activities based on our personal growth and our connection to God. My personal favorite activity was the walk up the hill because I had quite a bit of fun with my classmates and the view when we made it to the top was amazing. 

My other favorite was where we drew what we saw. I liked this one so much because I like to draw and it was really peaceful and calming."  Toby B. 9.2 Bentleigh East 

"On Thursday 19 October, our Year 9.7 Class joined Classes 9.8 and 9.6 for our retreat to Don Bosco Retreat Centre. There were a lot of highlights that we remember and are thankful for. We learnt how to play a game with sticks, that spending time just talking to someone walking up to the boulders can be enjoyable and that drawing part of God’s creation takes up more time than anticipated. 

There was a good balance of reflection activities and physically challenging activities. We were so lucky to be in a beautiful environment that helped us reflect on the gift of nature and to thank God for this gift.

 

We send our gratitude to the retreat organisers, because this retreat is a newer thing the College has done for us that we really appreciate. All the people were really nice and helpful, the activities were fun and relaxing, and the whole day stuck to the main ideas of The Rite Journey which has been part of R.E. this year." Class 9.7 Mentone 

A Month of Remembrance

In a very special way, the month of November is dedicated to the memory of our deceased family members and friends, and all who have gone before us.  

Beginning with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, and continuing throughout the month, we hold in prayer those who have died.

To mark the special way that the Catholic tradition responds to death, St Bede’s College has a Perpetual Memorial Book that is kept in the Mentone Campus Chapel as an invitation to others to join you in praying for your deceased relatives and friends.  

Should you wish to have the name of a family member or friend who has died added to the Memorial Book, please email Ria Greene. These names will be especially prayed for throughout November. 

Please note – if you have previously added names, you don't need to resubmit them as it is a Perpetual Book.

Book Donations - Les Twentyman Foundation

To support the Les Twentyman Foundation ‘Back to School’ program, we are collecting the following items from now until Tuesday 5 December: 

• Year 7-12 textbooks and study guides published since 2018
• English novels and literature texts (i.e. novels / plays / poetry /DVDs)
• Atlases, dictionaries (English and foreign language), and thesauruses 
• Calculators
• Laptops
• Stationery (either physical donations in good condition or via the purchasing of vouchers from companies like Officeworks)

Please take your donation to Student Services or Reception at either Campus. 

Ria Greene

Deputy Principal - Faith and Mission