Student Stories, Achievements & Community News

Student Stories

New Certificate II in Electrotechnology Sparks Excitement

This year marks an exciting milestone for our school as we introduce the Certificate II in Electrotechnology for the very first time at our Bentleigh East Campus. A group of students from St Bede’s and Kilbreda College have eagerly embraced this hands-on course, which provides foundational skills in electrical theory, safety procedures, and practical wiring techniques. The program not only equips students with industry-relevant knowledge but also opens pathways to apprenticeships and further studies in the electrical trade. 

The students have successfully completed their first practical wiring projects, demonstrating their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world applications. Their dedication and teamwork have impressed the staff, setting a high standard for future cohorts. As they continue their studies, these students are paving the way for others to explore rewarding careers in electrotechnology. We look forward to celebrating their continued success and seeing this program grow in the years to come. 

Celebrating Student Achievement

Our ACC Athletics team did us proud at the ACC Championships. Another year of improvement saw us climb to 3rd place overall in Division 1. We were on the podium for 41 of the 74 events, which shows our consistency but also gives us our areas for improvement. Congratulations to the following students who won their event and are ACC Champions. 

• Fraser L (Year 8) 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump & triple jump (including a new ACC record in the 400m)
• Thomas J (Year 8) Shotput 
• Michael M (Year 11) 1500m 
• Oliver C (Year 11) Shot Put, Discus 
• Max L (Year 12) 100m

Congratulations to all our competitors, as well as Daniel H (Year 12) and Max L who were announced as our Athletics Captains for 2025. 

A huge thankyou also to the staff that assisted with coaching and mentoring our students. Brayden O'Toole, Nick Anderson, Greg Roberts, Nick Gleeson, Steve Laska & Michael Bohan played a huge part in our success. 

Congratulations to Tomas P (Year 12) who was awarded Best Speaker in the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) Round 1. Together with his A-Grade team mates Thomas L and Daniel P, they argued in the affirmitive for the topic: That all pharmaceutical research should be funded and conducted by the government.

"Our argument focused on statistics highlighting inefficiencies in government subsidies and tax breaks for corporate pharmaceutical R&D (research and development). The government not only funds public R&D but also allocates vast sums of money to the private sector, leading to duplicate overspending across multiple corporate R&D departments. This prioritises unproductive corporate competition over collaboration with public institutions.

Furthermore, private-sector R&D primarily aims to invent and extend patents, allowing companies to raise drug prices rather than investing in research that, while beneficial to society, may not be financially viable. 

As a result, the government must spend even more to lower drug costs, and health outcomes ultimately decline. In short, the Australian people bear the significant financial risk through subsidies and tax breaks to private pharmaceutical research, while corporations reap the profits.

In contrast, we argued if the government ended private drug R&D and instead fully funded public R&D—historically a reliable system—it would save money for both the government and taxpayers, drive greater innovation, and operate in the public interest rather than for corporate profit.

The opposition attempted to argue that a fully funded public system would be more expensive, less innovative, and politically corrupt. They failed."

All six teams performed very well with their arguments, with two wins and some very narrow losses to their topics: 

D Grade: That the government should prohibit businesses from being cashless.

C Grade: That tickets to all sporting events should be free.

B Grade: That all school and university exams should be open-book.

Thank you to all our Coaches and Mentors for their support of our students. 

In Memoriam

We pray for the loved ones of Donna Cardamone, mother of Natalie Cardamone (Staff). 

Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of May Comas, mother of Mark (Staff) and wife of Chris (former Staff).

May God's love be a comfort at this time. 

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