We have been overwhelmed by the level of interest in our upcoming Preparing Our Boys for Examinations – Family Seminar, with more than 550 family members and students indicating their intention to attend. We are incredibly grateful for the strong response and the commitment of our College community to supporting our boys as they prepare for examinations. 

To ensure that the evening is a valuable and practical experience for everyone attending, we have made a small adjustment to the format of the event. The seminar will now be delivered across two sessions: 

Date: Tuesday 8 September 
Years 7–9: 5.30pm 
Years 10–12: 7.00pm 

Location: Margaret Tierney Centre (MTC) Steps – Level 1 

All other details remain unchanged. 

Both sessions will focus on similar key skills and strategies for effective examination preparation. As a result, there is no need for families to attend both sessions. Families are encouraged to attend the session relevant to their son’s year level. 

Please also note that the sessions will not be recorded, so we strongly encourage students and families to attend in person. 

We look forward to welcoming you and your son for what we hope will be an engaging, practical and valuable evening as we work together to support our boys in approaching their examinations with confidence. 

We had a blast at Book Week this year thanks to our fantastic Library Team!

The Library has been buzzing even more than usual over the past few days, as students took part in a range of literary activities at recess and lunchtime. Participating in word searches, trivia, and games of boggle and hangman, they earned SBC dollars in preparation for the highly anticipated Book Week Auction—an exciting and competitive event!

Two Crack the Code Treasure Chest competitions were 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. Congratulations to Jeremy (Year 11) and Dewish (Year 8) who took home the coveted treasure chests this year.

A big shoutout once again to our wonderful librarians who conducted a very successful Book Week and encouraged plenty of enthusiastic participation.

We were privileged to welcome Tommy Nyawir, founder of Mirror of Hope, Kenya, to St Bernard's College to share his story with our Year 10 Civics students. 

Students in Civics learn about the different kinds of overseas development assistance, including non-governmental aid. The incursion with Tommy provided a great opportunity for students to ask questions from a personal story, and to engage with many different questions. These questions broadened students' understanding and gave them the chance to reflect on the importance of foreign aid through a real-life example.

Students also had the opportunity to teach Tommy a few things. Tommy is a big AFL fan of the Hawthorn Hawks, and while he has attended games at the MCG, he has never had the chance to learn the skills. The students taught him the art of kicking and handballing, their talents quickly rubbing off on our Kenyan visitor. 

Tommy has an incredible story. Growing up in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa—1 million people living within a 2.5km^2 area—Tommy did not have the opportunity to attend school, due to the high costs of schooling in Kenya, which is not funded by the government. Tommy did not believe he would ever receive an education, until a chance encounter with a visiting traveler changed everything. Upon a brief introduction and meeting Tommy’s parents, the stranger offered to pay for his entire high school education.

Tommy has no way of contacting and thanking the person that changed his life, and never even got his name. To say thanks and to pay forward the gift he was given, he founded Mirror of Hope with his wife. Mirror of Hope is one of St. Bernard’s partner schools in Kenya and aims to give as many children as possible the life-changing gift of education. Staff have visited multiple times in recent years, with the hope of visiting with students in 2027 during our Kenya Immersion. 

We can't thank Tommy enough for his time and for sharing his incredible story!

National Science Week 2026 has sparked excitement nationwide, with students, educators, and communities exploring the fascinating world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

This year’s theme, Seeds of Science: Nurturing Science for All, invites students across Australia to explore the power of curiosity, inquiry, and shared learning in growing scientific understanding. Just as seeds need the right conditions to flourish, scientific knowledge grows when it is nurtured, shared, and applied to real-world and authentic challenges across all scientific disciplines.

To celebrate this exciting occasion, our students participated in a range of engaging science activities organised by their science teachers from 17–21 August. 

The popular Balloon Race encouraged students to apply their physics knowledge to race balloons across the lab, while in the 'Patient Zero' simulation they learned how infections can spread and what scientific principles researchers use to track them. In classrooms throughout the week, students experimented with various chemical reactions and tested their knowledge with rounds of science trivia. 

Science Week provided a wonderful opportunity for students to challenge their thinking, develop new skills, and appreciate the important role that science plays in shaping our future. Most importantly, it reminded us that every great discovery begins with a question, a curiosity, or a simple idea.

We encourage all students to continue asking questions, exploring new ideas, and embracing the excitement of learning. The scientists, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow are sitting in our classrooms today.

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