Principal's Update

Our Hive Of Activity

Student Leaders and staff have been busily preparing for our annual Mission Action Day which is being held tomorrow - a day of fun and of doing something to help others. Our students have set themselves an ambitious fundraising goal once again. As a Catholic Lasallian school focused on Faith, Service and Community, funds raised are donated to the Lasallian Foundation for support work in Pakistan, Papua New-Guinea, and other areas of need. The funds also contribute to the outreach projects in which our students participate in Derby (WA), Thailand and Fiji. 

During 2025, the schools of the ACC (Associated Catholic Colleges) will be performing in the fifth ACCent on Music concert at Hamer Hall, bringing together students from all 13 ACC Colleges. Best wishes to all students who are looking to be one of the almost 600 students involved, their supporting parents and our music staff. Rehearsals taking place in a range of ACC Colleges, commence at the end of March and will continue over the next few months. 

Thank you to the many families who attended our College Family Mass last week - one of our key functions for the school year. About 400 people were in attendance. Special thanks to our concelebrating priests, Fathers Martin, Justin, Joseph and Huy.

A very busy Term 1 will conclude on Friday 4 April when students will break for the term and Easter vacation. Easter is a most solemn and special time for all Christians as we reflect on the passion of Jesus Christ prior to celebrating his triumphant resurrection. On the evening of Holy Thursday, we specifically recall the Last Supper and the simple, yet powerful, example of Christ ‘breaking bread’ and sharing a meal in communion with his followers. 

On Good Friday, many Catholics will walk the Stations of the Cross and reflect deeply on the suffering of Jesus. Easter Sunday then allows us to celebrate Jesus Christ rising again. His death and subsequent resurrection are central to our Faith and a reminder that we too can begin anew. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke the following words to his disciples on the night before He died. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still and trust in Me” (John 14:1). An enduring reminder at Easter, and an important message for these times.

Co-Curricular Programs

At St Bede’s College, we provide a broad range of co-curricular opportunities for our students. Co-curricular refers to the activities, programs and learning experiences that complement the academic curriculum. From Debating, Drama and Public Speaking to STEM Racing (formerly F1 in Schools), ACC Sports, Music, Robotics, eLeadership (ICT programs), STEM, Community Service, Social Justice and many other activities, the opportunities are there for the taking.  

In a large school with boys having wide-ranging interests, it is important that we offer as wide a range of opportunities as possible, and we have been fortunate to expand the opportunities in recent years. We are most grateful to staff members who give of their time and talents to support students in these activities.

Our BEAM (Beda Enrichment and Academic Mentorship) Gifted and Talented Program is one that has grown in recent times. The purpose of BEAM is to further enrich and expand the holistic growth of each student across many types of facets, disciplines, and passions without borders. BEAM stands as a beacon of this commitment. Students need to be on the lookout for the diverse opportunities that will present throughout the year. 

While we seem to have no trouble in having our boys take up the many offerings available, there are still some students whose College experience could be enhanced by participating in an activity outside the formal classroom and some parents might like to speak with their sons about the benefits of participation in an activity.

Our co-curricular program provides students with opportunities for valuable informal learning, development of skills, moving outside comfort zones in a supportive environment, making new friends and building relationships, strengthening a sense of belonging and connection and building school spirit. Research indicates that participation in co-curricular activities is linked to positive academic outcomes, such as students’ achievements and educational aspirations, improved attendance, pro-social behaviours, and more positive development generally.  

We aim to develop the whole person, and learning and achievement naturally follow when the whole school experience is engaging and positive. By giving them more opportunities to experience joy and success in their learning in and out of the classroom, these students can better explore themselves as learners and strategically develop their unique gifts.

Providing Hope

Charity co-founder Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett AM, a retired Christian Brother, was named 2025 Senior Australian of the Year after being nominated by former students.  Before retiring from the Christian Brothers, he worked as a high school teacher in various places in WA., including Karratha and Geraldton. Pickett, 84, co-founded Wheelchairs for Kids in 1996, which provides adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries. He works in the factory six days of the week.

Out of a factory workshop in Perth, his volunteer-run organisation has built and fitted more than 60,000 custom-made wheelchairs for children in remote Australian First Nation communities and in 80 other countries. Wheelchairs For Kids is the largest volunteer-led charity in Western Australia with more than 250 retirees pitching in to help.

Brother Pickett designed a low-cost wheelchair using World Health Organisation's standards, with their adjustable design meaning children can use the one wheelchair from age four to 16. The wheelchairs cost $275 to make, and for that sum of money, a child with a disability receives a new life, by getting off the ground, having dignity as well as mobility.  They can now go to the village school and have an education. They mix with friends, and they feel included. 

Brother Pickett is a true “Pilgrim of Hope” and has been volunteering for over 27 years! This Pilgrim Year of the Jubliee is reminding us that we all need to be people of hope, for it is hope that drives us to be of service to the community. 

At St Bede’s College, we endeavour to teach and encourage empathy, compassion, respect and understanding through the five key Lasallian principles: God is our focus; brothers and sisters to all; honesty; respect for self, others and property; valuing achievement; and in our relationships with each other and through service. 

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.