Principal's Message
Founder's Day
On Friday of this week we celebrate the life of our Founder, St John Baptist de la Salle. We do so with a sense of gratitude as we appreciate that he began an education system in France that was to be adopted by many throughout the world as a way of inspiring young people.
St John Baptist de La Salle began a number of schools after seeing a need to educate boys and young men who were the most vulnerable in their society. He understood that education was the path to freedom and responsibility. He was both a brilliant educator and a pragmatist, believing that the education of minds and hearts was essential for learning and life. From such beginnings a large network of Lasallian schools formed, now educating more than one million students worldwide. Of particular note was the zeal in which St John Baptist undertook his work. It was not easy or passive; no worthwhile achievement in life ever is that way.
Today there are Lasallian schools in more than 80 countries around the world, educating in excess of one million students. St Bede’s is part of this wonderful enterprise.
We are proud of our Lasallian heritage. It gives our community a distinct and well-articulated view of education, allowing young men to feel connected, empowered and able to make a clear difference in the world.
Music News
We are delighted to recognise all of our young musicians and vocalists who recently competed at the Generations in Jazz music festival held in Mt Gambier, South Australia. The boys were a credit to the College and their families. It was exciting to see our Vocalists take first place in their division. The Performing Arts are an integral part of any boy’s school program and should always be encouraged.
Old Collegians 80th Anniversary Dinner
This was moved into the College Hall, from the original venue of the Functions Room, as we had a very large number of attendees on the night. This is a healthy sign for the Association. It was wonderful to see the significant number of “Old Boys” who re-gathered with their various year levels representing many decades. It was also an opportunity to induct a number of people on to the Roll of Honour. So many Brothers, staff, parents and Old Boys have given willingly of themselves over the years. We exist today because of their generosity of spirit. Particular thanks go to Mr Jason Smythe (President) and Ms Jo Hynes (Old Collegians Officer) for their overall organisation.
Board Meeting at Cypress Lodge
The College Board took the opportunity to meet at Cypress Lodge, Phillip Island over a weekend. Many of you would know this as the property owned by the College where our Year 7 and 8 students undertake their Outdoor Education Program. For a number of Board members it was the first opportunity to visit the recently renovated site. The Board took the opportunity to undergo formation on the life of St John Baptist de la Salle as well as looking at the Vision and Mission of the College. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and talented group of people who willingly give of their time for the benefit of our school.
Primary School Visits
I am currently visiting all of our local Catholic primary schools. It has been enjoyable seeing the many programs operating within these schools and admiring the way in which our boys are prepared so well for life in a large secondary setting. We hope to increase our ties further with these schools in the time to come.
Upcoming Performances
We look forward to two offerings from our Performing Arts area. Our senior students will be performing a scene from Moonlight and Magnolias during next week. This is a small cast piece which requires concentration and refined acting. We wish these young men well as it forms part of their VCE Unit 3 assessment.
We also have our College musical, Grease, in pre-production. This is a high energy musical with a very large cast which includes girls from Kilbreda College and Mentone Girls Grammar. We wish them well as they prepare for their performances in late June.
Uniform and Presentation of our Students
We are making a concerted effort in working with the boys on their presentation in relation to their uniform and grooming. We have wonderful young men at St Bede’s who are characterised by gentleness and good manners. To the general public, who do not know our boys as we do, they can, at times, appear untidy. We ask all of our boys to represent their families and College well in the way they present themselves.
Per Vias Rectas
John Finn
Principal