Book Week at St Bernard’s College is always well attended by students. They participate in a daily scavenger hunt at morning recess and enjoy a variety of literacy-based activities each lunchtime. Two Crack the Code Treasure Chest competitions are also held, where students complete a clue sheet and eagerly gather to see if their name is drawn from the entry box. If they crack the correct combination, they win the contents of the Treasure Chest. This competition is hotly contested each year, and this year’s winners are Jeremy (Year 10) and Elijah (Year 8).

Each English class from Year 7 to 10 also takes part in a Spelling Bee during the week—an energetic and fun activity enjoyed by all.

The final event of the week is the Book Week Auction. Students earn SBC dollars by participating in activities run by the Library Team in the lead-up to the auction. They can then bid—individually or in teams—on a range of prizes. It’s always a lot of fun, and for those bidding, the heat is on to secure one of the highly sought-after rewards.

A celebratory lunch was held for the Year 7 and Year 8 winners of the Book Bingo Reading Challenge.

Students were challenged to read five or more books from the beginning of Term 2. The Book Bingo grid featured genres from the St Bernard’s College collection. Those who completed a line (three books) received a certificate at their respective Year Level Assembly. 

It was a fantastic effort from all of our students, and those invited to the lunch were truly worthy winners.

Join us for an extraordinary evening of creativity and collaboration as students from St Bernard’s, St Columba’s, and Ave Maria unite to showcase their artistic talents — from exceptional musical artistry to captivating performances!

🗓️ Date: 29 August 2025
🕢 Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Venue: Frank Fitzgerald Auditorium
🎟️ Tickets: $15 — all proceeds go to charity!
Click here to book

Experience a vibrant celebration of the arts — one night only, and guaranteed to inspire!

Last Thursday, the St Bernard's College Chess Team triumphed in Division Two at the ACC Open Chess Tournament, hosted by St Patrick’s College, Ballarat.

Led brilliantly by Captain, Atticus, our team played with focus, strategy, and determination. A special mention goes to Rafael, who delivered a flawless performance by winning all his matches.

Congratulations to all team members on this outstanding achievement — we can’t wait to take on the challenge of Division One next year!

The St Bernard’s College Coding Club has kicked off with great enthusiasm this term, attracting students from Years 7–11. 

Meeting twice a week at lunchtime in the Tobin Building, the club offers a relaxed and supportive space for students to explore coding through Grok Academy’s engaging courses and competitions. 

From complete beginners to those with experience, students are developing problem-solving skills, building confidence, and having fun while learning Python.

National Science Week 2025 has sparked excitement nationwide, with students, educators, and communities diving into the fascinating world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

This year’s theme— “Decoding the Universe: Exploring the Unknown with Nature’s Hidden Language”—invites us to uncover the patterns and principles that shape our world, from the mysteries of quantum physics to the wonders of biodiversity.

But National Science Week is more than just fun experiments. It’s a celebration of innovation, creativity, and critical thinking. It aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers, while promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.

To mark this exciting occasion, students at St Bernard’s College will have the opportunity to participate in science activities organised by their science teachers from 25 to 29 August.

Let’s keep the curiosity alive and continue exploring the amazing world of science—both inside and outside the classroom!

Moonee Valley City Council is excited to offer a range of free and low-cost school holiday and Youth Month activities this September for young people aged 12–25 across Moonee Valley!

Activities include an Intro to Coffee course, Podcasting workshop, Medieval Fantasy Festival, Wicked Scented Movie, and much more.

Students can register here: https://mvcc.vic.gov.au/youth/youth-events/. Places are limited, so we encourage early sign-ups.

We’re also on the lookout for short films made by young people! If a student’s film is selected for screening, they’ll receive a $250 voucher. Students can learn more and submit here: https://mvcc.vic.gov.au/youth/youth-groups-and-programs/#call-shortfilms

Please reach out using the Valley Youth contact details below if you have any questions.

Valley Youth – Moonee Valley City Council

Ph: 9243 1225 I Email youth@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Our Student Portfolio Captains and College Principal, Dr Michael Davies, had the wonderful opportunity to share morning tea with Ms Jo Briskey, the new local Member for Maribyrnong.

Ms Briskey was eager to hear directly from students and staff about the unique challenges and opportunities within our school community. We’re grateful for her time and interest in supporting local education.

From Saturday, 9 August to Monday, 11 August 2025, a selection of dedicated senior runners from our school embarked on the traditional St Bernard's College City2Surf trip to Sydney for the annual City to Surf event. The journey began early on Saturday morning with a flight from Melbourne to Sydney. Upon arrival, students checked into The Little Drifter and set off for a day of adventures around Sydney, including visits to Bondi, Watson Bay, and Circular Quay. At Circular Quay, we had the opportunity to see the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Sunday was the highlight of the trip – Race Day! Despite the wet and cold weather, students woke up early to participate in the City2Surf run. The faster students managed to finish the run before the rain, but the second group was not so lucky. The support crew and cheer squad were completely saturated. After the race, everyone raced back to the hostel to have warm showers and get a feed. We also caught up with many past students who were still travelling up and continuing to participate in the event. The day concluded with a celebration dinner at Da Orazio Pizza, where students shared their race experiences and enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to the hostel.

On Monday, the final day of the trip, students enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Lamrock Cafe before packing up and participating in a traditional rugby game on Bondi Beach. The trip concluded with a flight back to Melbourne, leaving everyone with unforgettable memories, a sense of accomplishment, and an ambition to return and improve their times.

I have been organising this trip for over 10 years, and this is the first time Sydney turned the weather off! This was the year that injury prevented myself and our College Captain, Hayden, from completing the run. But as we always say, the SBC Cross Country squad is a supportive community, and I'm confident that with dedication and commitment to training, our amazing coaches will have us back running up Heartbreak Hill again, wondering why we do this to ourselves!

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about support provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019). 

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• Year of schooling
• Category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
• Level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• Formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
• Consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• Develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

Please see below an information sheet about the NCCD process.

Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact Ms Jeanette Shine (Learning Enhancement and Diversity Leader) via email at JShine@sbc.vic.edu.au