Last week, the College celebrated Nagle House with a series of engaging and enjoyable activities. On Tuesday during lunch, staff and students braved the strong wind for an exciting game of AFLX, showcasing a delightful display of friendly competition and camaraderie.

On Wednesday morning, we were honoured to have Fr Bernie Lane join us once again to celebrate the Nagle House community mass. Throughout the week, students and staff enjoyed informative and entertaining daily quizzes about Nano Nagle, adding an educational twist to the celebrations.

The week concluded on a high note with a fundraising BBQ on Friday. A special thanks goes out to Nagle House Captain Oisin, as well as all the other staff and students who contributed to making this week a success. Their efforts, along with the enthusiastic participation of the students, truly made Nagle Week a memorable event.

Thank you to everyone who boldly helped celebrate this week.

St Bernard’s College student, Stjepan, has received top honours for his outstanding VCE results in 2024.

Stjepan received a Premier’s VCE Award for excellence in Croatian, making him one of the top-performing Croatian students in the state.

The Premier’s VCE Awards, which took place on 2 July 2025 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, celebrated the achievements of 315 of Victoria’s finest students. Deputy Principal, Ms Therese Wilson, proudly attended the ceremony to honour Stjepan's remarkable accomplishment.

Congratulations, Stjepan, on this incredible achievement and for receiving such a prestigious award!

We are excited to announce that our very own Sam, a dedicated student at St Bernard’s College and member of the St Bernard’s College Golf Academy, has been selected to represent Australia at the prestigious U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in July 2025!

Under the guidance of the incredible Mr Greg McConnell, Sam will compete alongside four other talented juniors from the Northern Golf Club Elite NexGen Junior Academy, also overseen by Mr McConnell. These inspiring young athletes have secured their spots through hard work, determination, and a challenging qualification process.

Congratulations, Sam! We wish you all the best as you embark on this journey, representing St Bernard’s College on the world stage!

St Bernard’s College has had an outstanding Term 2, marked by remarkable success in the ACC Premierships across various year levels.

On Tuesday, 24 June, the College celebrated victories in the ACC Year 10 Division 1 Football and ACC Year 9 Division 1 Soccer Grand Finals! The Year 10 Football team has also qualified for the Herald Sun Shield Intermediate Division Semi-Finals. Huge congratulations to our players and their dedicated coaches, Mr Aaron Heppell and Mr Matt Foley (Year 10 Football), and Mr Connor Hampson (Year 9 Soccer), for their incredible work, leadership, and support of our students. Well done to all involved, and best of luck to the Year 10 Football team in the semi-finals!

The success continued throughout the week with the completion of the Term 2 ACC Grand Finals. On Wednesday afternoon, our ACC Senior Division 3 Soccer team claimed a fantastic victory. The winning streak extended into Thursday, with our ACC Year 7 Gold Football team, ACC Year 8 Division 1 Soccer team, and ACC Year 8 Division 3 Football team all proudly taking home their trophies!

Congratulations to our students for these remarkable achievements! We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our staff, parents, and caregivers for their unwavering support. Additionally, we commend the opposing teams for their effort and sportsmanship.

Students from St Bernard’s College showcased their athletic prowess at the Athletics Victoria 2025 All Schools Cross Country Championships held on Saturday, 21 June, at Bundoora Park.

The event saw remarkable performances from the cross country team, with standout achievements including Charles securing a gold medal in the Under 20s 8km race. The Under 20s team, consisting of Charles, Jonah, Isaac, Xavier, and Luke, earned an impressive silver medal overall. Additionally, the Under 17s team, featuring Corey, Jamie, Jude, Patrick, and Ben, claimed bronze in their category.

In the Under 14s race, which attracted over 200 participants, Isaac demonstrated remarkable resilience. Despite having his shoe accidentally knocked off at the start, he completed the 3km course in an impressive time of 10 minutes and 40 seconds, making him our fastest Under 14 athlete!

Congratulations to all the competitors for their outstanding performances, and a special thank you to the parents, caregivers, and staff whose support plays a crucial role in our students' success.

As we prepare for the upcoming renovations in the Tobin building, which will introduce our exciting new university-style cafeteria as part of the Quays Project, we want to take a moment to honour our beloved canteen. While the community eagerly anticipates the fresh space ahead, today we celebrate the memories and contributions that made our canteen truly special.

To commemorate its closing, we welcomed back past staff members who have dedicated countless hours to running the canteen, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for students and staff alike. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the many volunteer helpers who have participated over the years. Their commitment to serving our community has been invaluable, and we are truly grateful for their support.

Let’s not forget the students who stepped up behind the counter before school in years gone by, assisting with serving and gaining invaluable experience. Their enthusiasm and dedication played a vital role in the canteen's daily operations, making it a gathering place of joy and friendship.

As we prepare to say goodbye to the beloved canteen that will soon be demolished, we reflect with gratitude on all the memories we've created together. And to our current students—don’t worry! There will be measures in place to ensure that you still have access to delicious meals throughout the building works!

Fun fact: The canteen once operated from the Tobin building but has been running from its current site for over 20 years.

Here’s to the wonderful times we've shared and the exciting future that awaits us! Thank you, everyone!

St Bernard's College, in collaboration with St Columba's College, is excited to announce our annual musical production: Newsies - The Broadway Musical!

Inspired by the Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, this high-energy show will have you on the edge of your seat, cheering for the underdogs as they fight for what's right!

Show Dates: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights across two weekends: 24 July – 2 August 2025

Location: St Bernard’s College Auditorium

Click here to book tickets

This is a performance you won't want to miss, showcasing the incredible talents of our students from both St Bernard's and St Columba's Colleges. Spread the word and get ready to be amazed!

The second half of the South America Immersion 2025 has been filled with enriching experiences and unforgettable moments. Supported by Colegio Stella Maris and Colegio Cardenal Newman, this journey has deepened the students' understanding of service, solidarity, and global connection.

In Uruguay, the first stop was Los Tréboles, a centre dedicated to supporting vulnerable children and families through education, care, and social development. Here, the students connected with young learners and assisted with various tasks, including painting, gardening, and maintenance. They then visited Santa Margarita, a school funded by Stella Maris, where they supported English classes and helped with site transformation activities, bringing new energy to the growing school. This opportunity allowed them to live out their values of service learning abroad, especially alongside their global Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) partners.

A significant highlight in Uruguay was visiting the Museo Andes 1972, where they learned about the incredible survival story of rugby players from Stella Maris’ Old Christians Rugby Club. They were treated to a private Q&A with survivor Roberto Canessa, who shared a powerful message of resilience and the strength of the human spirit. To celebrate new friendships, students from St Bernard’s College and Colegio Stella Maris travelled to Punta del Este, admired the coastline, and shared a final asado lunch before heading back to Montevideo for their goodbyes. The warmth, generosity, and shared commitment to an education that transcends borders from Colegio Stella Maris were deeply appreciated.

In Argentina, the journey continued with enriching experiences at Colegio Cardenal Newman. The students collaborated on various outreach initiatives, witnessing firsthand the impact of compassion, connection, and community action. At Casa del Niño Amanecer, they played games and provided academic support to children facing educational barriers. At San Agustín, they heard powerful stories of young men rebuilding their lives through rehabilitation and faith, and shared a creative moment by decorating and exchanging maté cups. At El Arca, the students engaged in interactive activities with a vibrant community of people with intellectual disabilities. At Copacabana, they supported one of Newman’s long-standing outreach programs, focusing on education and human development. At San Pedro Claver school, they toured new facilities and learned about the school's efforts in community-building and solidarity.

The final days in Argentina were filled with culture, connection, and celebration. The students experienced the life of a gaucho at Don Silvano Ranch, explored the rich cultural side of Buenos Aires, and toured the Museum of River Plate to gain deeper insight into Argentina’s football culture. They bid a heartfelt goodbye to their friends at Colegio Cardenal Newman, whose hospitality and shared spirit of Edmund Rice showed their common heart despite not always speaking a common tongue. They look forward to welcoming them to Melbourne in September for their immersion.

As they settle back home, it feels bittersweet to close the book on this year’s South America Immersion. Thank you to everyone who followed along with their journey of learning, service, and lifelong memories. ¡Hasta luego!

As part of the Year 10 and 11 Italian courses, on Monday, 23 June, students competed in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition along with 2,200 Students across Victoria. The students were required to recite a poem that they had learned (provided by the Dante Alighieri Society Melbourne) in front of a panel of judges online in the College Boardroom. It was great to see students come out of the exam room smiling and commenting, “this was great!”. 

A special mention goes to Joseph from Year 12, who volunteered to compete. Prof Marasco and Prof Selva were very pleased with how the students prepared, represented the College, and participated in this event.

On Thursday, 19 June, the Frank FitzGerald Auditorium was alive with the sounds of our talented Year 7 students during the Semester One Music Concert. The evening was a spectacular showcase of the musical skills our students have honed this semester, featuring impressive performances from various College music ensembles and solo acts.

One of the evening's highlights was watching our Year 7 students step into the role of conductor. The excitement peaked when Year 7 Level Leader, Ms Romanin, bravely took the stage to conduct, adding a touch of fun and flair to the night!

A heartfelt thank you to all the students for boldly sharing their talents, and to the dedicated staff, parents, and caregivers who supported them. Your presence and encouragement made the night even more special.

A special shoutout to our Friends of Music for their unwavering support of the music program at St Bernard’s College. Your contributions are invaluable! 

Mr Tighe’s Year 8 Art class recently went on an exciting excursion to the Fantauzzo Gallery on Chapel Street in South Yarra.

The gallery showcases the incredible artworks of Vincent Fantauzzo, a former student of St Bernard’s College. Mr Fantauzzo warmly welcomed our students and provided insightful explanations of his artistic practice. The experience left the students captivated, creating many wonderful memories from the visit.

A heartfelt thank you to Mr Fantauzzo for welcoming us and sharing your knowledge and experience with our aspiring young artists!

The Year 7-10 students have been participating in a Reading Challenge at St Bernard’s from the beginning of Term 2. The Year 7-9 students are challenged to read up to five books (two bingo lines) on the Book Bingo chart (see below). The students win a small prize for completing a line and are invited to a lunch in the Library (including door prizes) if they complete two lines on the chart. The students have risen to the challenge, we are expecting quite a few students to have read the required amount to be eligible for the Library Lunch very soon.

The Year 10 Reading Challenge involves winning a Golden Ticket for completing a book. They will then be eligible to go into the draw to win prizes such as a Foosball table, a Bluetooth speaker, various vouchers and assorted other prizes. We recognise that the Year 10 students have more content heavy subjects and may not have as much opportunity to read up to 5 books over 16 weeks. We want to encourage our students to read to ensure they develop healthy reading habits before they head into the VCE years.

It has also been wonderful to see the strong participation of students in the Junior and Senior Book Clubs this year. Some of the books we have read include:

• Senior Book Club: Three Boys Gone by Mark Smith and Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.

• Junior Book Club: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Alexander Altmann A10567 by Suzy Zail.

If you are interested in joining, please visit the friendly staff in the College library.

The Library will be closed over the upcoming holiday break.

The Library Team hopes you all have a relaxing break.

Thank you to our incredible community for a fantastic Term 2!

As we head into the holidays, remember to take some time to relax and recharge. Together, let’s be bold and gear up for an action-packed Term 3 starting on Tuesday, 22 July. 

Have a wonderful break!

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