Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

On Friday, 16 October, St Bernard’s College proudly celebrated our graduating Year 12s with a day of joy, gratitude and traditions old and new.

The day began with the customary shirt signing and sausage sizzle, as students collected signatures from their peers and teachers. It was wonderful to see the cohort coming together and creating these special shared mementos for each other.

The entire College then came together in the O’Brien Centre Gymnasium as our Year 12s and their families celebrated one last whole-school assembly, presenting key awards and reflecting on the past six years of education. A highlight of the day came from Daniel (Year 7) and Isaac (Year 12), two brothers who offered a moving reflection on College life from both ends of the journey.

College Captain Sam delivered a stirring farewell address, reminding us all of the importance of mateship and leaving our graduates with three key messages: "look after yourself, never forget to have fun, and above all else, look after your mates."

Sam's heartfelt speech was the perfect lead-in to our new tradition of singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, a rite of passage that reminds our Year 12s that they will always be Bernard’s Boys, and always have the support of our community.

In the evening, students and their families gathered at St Monica’s Church, very close to the original St Bernard's campus on The Strand in Moonee Ponds. Students received their graduation certificates before joining together for a special Mass celebrated by Fr Bernie Lane. The celebrations continued at the Valedictory Dinner held at the Victoria Pavilion at the Melbourne Showgrounds—a fitting finale to a memorable day.

We extend our deepest thanks to our staff, our families, our Welcoming Community Group, and all who contributed to such a memorable occasion. We wish our graduates all the best as they return for final study and prepare for their exams.

To the Class of 2026, we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you. Congratulations, good luck, and remember: you’ll never walk alone.

St Bernard's College Leads the Nation in Schools Blood Drive 2026

The SBC community has achieved an outstanding milestone, with our Lifeblood Team recording the highest number of donations and lives saved in the nation during the 2026 Schools Blood Drive.

This remarkable achievement is a testament to the generosity, commitment, and community spirit of our donors and advocates. Every donation has the potential to change lives, and together we have made a truly meaningful impact.

Thank You to Our Donors

A special thank you to everyone who donated, and especially to those who donated for the very first time. Taking that first step can be a little daunting, and we are incredibly grateful for your willingness to give. We hope your experience was a positive one and that you feel proud of the difference you have made.

On Wednesday, 21 October, students, families, and members of the broader community gathered to celebrate creativity at the highly successful Art & Technology Exhibition. On a lovely spring night, over 400 attendees came to view the outstanding creative work of our students from Years 7 to 12.

Guests mingled while enjoying musical performances, sampling delicious finger foods prepared by the Food Studies department, pedalling to make their own smoothies, and collecting garden samples to grow at home. The gym extension, foyer and O’Brien Hall and forecourt were brimming with impressive works from students in Media, Visual Arts, Photography, Product Design & Engineering, and Food Studies. Our Engineering students added excitement by showcasing their CO₂ cars, which were raced on the track; Drama and Music students delivered captivating performances, and Digital Technology students gave live demonstrations of their remarkable coding projects.

The 2026 edition featured a fundraiser for our House-aligned charities, and we thank our guests for generously donating on the night through gold coin donations and purchasing raffle tickets. Congratulations to all our raffle winners!

Well done to our Technology and Art staff for their dedication, teamwork and meticulous planning in the lead-up to the exhibition, along with many other staff members who gave support on the night. We also humbly thank our sponsors who made this event possible: our Platinum Sponsors MNG Lawyers, McDonald Upton and Essendon BMW, our Gold Sponsors MKS Group and MKS Lending Group, and thank you to Fruitique for donating an incredible gift basket as the major prize for our raffle. 

A massive shout-out to our impressive student volunteers, who put on performances, ran demonstrations, assisted with set-up, signed in our guests, helped give tours of the new Quays campus, and completed a multitude of other tasks to help make the evening a resounding success.

Thank you to our families and community for celebrating our arts and technology students, and we look forward to seeing you all again next year!

We recently held a special pizza lunch in the Library to celebrate the students who completed the Year 7 & 8 Book Bingo Reading Challenge. 

Our students were challenged to read 5 books over Terms 2 & 3, and in doing so complete 2 lines on the bingo sheet below. The nature of the challenge meant that they had to read across a range of genres and pick up books they may not normally read. 

Last year 14 students reached this level, in 2026 39 students achieved this number of books read. It was fantastic to see the increase in students reaching the challenge goals as part of the Wide Reading Program. Several students at the lunch had even read far beyond the five books, in fact they had completed at least two Book Bingo sheets.

Reading is highly valued at St Bernard’s College, and we are proud to see more and more students coming to the Library to try a new book or activity. Our thanks to the English team – the collaboration between the two departments is the key to building the reading culture at the College.

Entries are still open for the SBC Short Story Competition! If your son is creative and enjoys writing, we encourage him to consider entering. In 1000 words or less students can submit their story to the Library Homepage by Friday 13th November. Contact Ms Jacqui Gale if you have any questions. 

The theme: “You never know what’s around the corner…”.

From Kyoto’s temples to the bright lights of Tokyo, the St Bernard’s College Japan Study Tour 2026 gave students from Years 9 and 10 an unforgettable learning opportunity.

A major highlight was the group’s visit to sister school Higashi Uji High School. With the help of their assigned ‘buddies’ showing them around, our students joined classes, took part in PE, music and English activities, practised calligraphy and created ikebana flower arrangements. More importantly, the warm welcome and friendships formed showed our boys the value of openness, respect and stepping beyond their comfort zones.

Across Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima and Tokyo, the group explored Japan’s history and traditions through chopstick and brush making, temple visits, local foods and community celebrations. Pulling a giant boat and joining the dance at the brush festival in Kumano was a memorable opportunity for the boys to participate wholeheartedly in local customs, while the visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was especially significant, deepening students’ understanding of the tragedy of war and the importance of peace and remembrance. 

The group also had plenty of fun along the way, including feeding the deer at Nara Park, visiting Universal Studios Japan, and walking through the famous Torii Gates—and of course, you can’t leave Japan without having a karaoke night!

The tour delivered far more than sightseeing. It encouraged curiosity, strengthened friendships and helped students appreciate another culture through direct experience—lessons that will remain with them long after returning home.

Thank you to Mr Yamamoto, Ms Whitford and Mr Kavenagh for organising and guiding the students through this amazing experience! 

On Wednesday, 14 October, St Bernard’s College proudly hosted its Spring Music Concert, an evening that celebrated the incredible talent and dedication of our music community. The concert featured a series of outstanding ensemble performances, each showcasing the hard work and creativity of our students.

For our Year 12 music students, the night was extra special as it marked the final time they would perform in a College ensemble. Congratulations to you all—you have left a lasting impression with your artistry and dedication to music.

A heartfelt thank you goes to our dedicated music teachers for their guidance, the Friends of Music for their invaluable support, and especially our students for performing with passion and professionalism.