Principal 

Open Days

The College has now completed two very successful Open Days. The level of interest in our College is high and we are grateful to all of our Community who so consistently encourage others to experience an onsite visit. The Mentone and Bentleigh East Campus Open Days were strongly attended. Additional sessions were created to meet the demand for both.

The Year 11 Tour Guides on both campuses were excellent ambassadors and were keenly questioned by prospective parents. These young men are very proud of their College and speak with candour, and from the heart, about their own experiences. This sense of authenticity is well appreciated by prospective families.

Council of International Schools (CIS) Next Stage

The College formally moves into Stage 3 as from the beginning of second term. This involves staff and students being part of a Domain Group (of which there are 8) where the various aspects of the Domain will be discussed and answered.

A full College survey will be sent to all families, students, staff and the College Board in second term. This will be used to cross verify any answers that may come from the Domain discussions. The CIS Team Visit will occur early in 2022. The final accreditation should give confidence to all families that the College is genuinely trying to improve, adapt and plan in all areas, ultimately to give our young men the best possible experience. The ability of the College to prepare students for a global world full of hope and promise is integral to this process.

New Family Welcome Evening

After a postponement due to the short lockdown in February, the welcome evening took place last Friday. This was a well-attended and convivial night where families from both Campuses came together. The setting was excellent and those in attendance mixed well. A few words from myself outlined an encouragement to be, and stay, involved with the College. The Parents and Friends Association outlined their role and potential involvement of families and the Mission Action Day (MAD) video was shown to highlight the social service work within the College.

Thank you to the many families who took the opportunity to attend and meet fellow parents.

Retreats

Our Year 8, 9 and 12 students across the campuses have recently been involved in retreats. These experiences are important as they allow our young men to quieten themselves away from the world of movement, IT and activities to focus on their own being and their relationship with God. Our retreats are age appropriate to the year level and give our students the freedom to unashamedly talk about their spirituality.

Consent Education

All families were sent a letter from myself on this topic. Whilst there is already work occurring in this space, there is more to do, especially with our students in the Year 7-9 levels. We are currently surveying all large Catholic secondary schools and finding what programs they are using and how they are implemented as well as looking at the new information being put together by the State Government on Consent Education. This is a significant area that requires every due consideration in line with other programs on respectful relationships.

Top Acts

10 acts from the VCE Theatre Studies Class across Victoria are chosen each year by VCAA to perform at Hamer Hall. Amongst this fortunate group was Liam Collins, from the Class of 2020, who performed a solo piece to great acclaim. He is a most talented performer who has been ably mentored by St Bede’s College staff. Every student has capability if given the right ingredients of motivation from home, school and extended contacts. Liam has just begun a Biomedicine/Law degree.

Amalgamation

We have had a number of cross-campus events recently, including our first full cross campus staff meeting where staff travelled between campuses to meet with their learning and teaching counterparts. Given our upskilling in technology from last year’s pandemic, we are easily able to connect between campuses through combined video linkage.

Together with combined Year 9 Retreats and combined whole school assemblies, we are seeing the fruits of being Two Campuses and One College as we come to know each other in more personal ways.

Mission Action Day

This will take place on Friday of this week. Over 2200 students and staff will gather at the Mentone Campus prior to undertaking the coastal walk adjacent to Beach Road. We walk because we know that there are many in need. For us, the day is about supporting our Lasallian brothers and sisters in Thailand, India, Papua New Guinea and Balgo (Western Australia).

The video link below gives a deeper explanation:

https://vimeo.com/stbedescollege/mad2021

End of Term

As we move towards the end of first term, I take the opportunity to thank you for your support of the College in this year of Amalgamation. The preparation for the amalgamation has been both detailed and focused, seeking to respect all concerned. The feedback to date has been extremely positive with many exciting possibilities that still lie ahead.

I wish you and the family well with the upcoming Easter season and the school holidays to follow.

May the risen Lord give us all a renewed sense of hope, life and imagination.

Per Vias Rectas

John Finn

Principal