Newsletter
St Bernard's College Foundation Gala Dinner
24 March 2026
Congratulations to our golf team for winning the Division 1 Championship at the ACC Open Golf Tournament last Tuesday!🏆⛳
After three years of hard work behind the scenes developing the Golf Academy under Greg McConnell, the boys were ready for a big day. On a hot and sunny day at Northern Golf Club, our students kept their cool and won the title with a great effort across the board.
Coaches Mr Vivian and Mr Gale had high hopes for the group they had selected, and the team entered the day with plenty of confidence. The greens were rolling a little slower than expected early on but improved as the day progressed.
As a result of the win, the team has now qualified for the State Championships in May at Lonsdale Links.
Congratulations to Year 12 student Jai, who has also qualified for the Individual State Championships following his outstanding score of 69 (-3).
Thank you to the ACC for another great tournament and to Northern Golf Club for their fantastic hospitality. Now we look to the State Championships!
Our junior students had a ball at our Year 7 & 8 House Swimming Carnival last Thursday.
Congratulations to MacKillop House who claimed the shield with a very convincing performance, earning 326 points—well ahead of Nagle in second place with 183 points. The race for house glory continues to heat up!
We extend our appreciation to East Keilor Leisure Centre for once again hosting this great event. Thank you to all our staff who ensured this event ran smoothly, and well done to all our students for their enthusiastic participation!
All in our College community are cordially invited to the St Bernard's College Foundation Hall of Fame Gala Dinner, an evening of fine dining, celebration, and reminiscing in the Atrium at Hyatt Place Essendon Fields. ![]()
This year we have the pleasure of inducting two exceptional nominees into our Hall of Fame who have achieved excellence in their chosen fields:
Pat McCluskey (Class of 1964) (co-founder of ANCA) - Honouring a distinguished career in engineering, and global leadership in innovation and advanced manufacturing in CNC grinding technology.
Associate Professor Alf Nastri (Class of 1985) (Royal Melbourne Hospital) - For excellence in Dentistry and Medicine (Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon) and commitment to teaching future generations.
The Rising Star Award is recognising exceptional talent and leadership potential for those between the age of 25 to 35.
The 2026 Rising Star Award recipient is Michael Valastro (Class of 2020) (Elite N Titled and Valvero) for entrepreneurial excellence in Activewear, Fashion Design and Jewellery Design.
Friday, 1 May, 2026
6:30 pm arrival
Hyatt Place, 1 English St, Essendon Fields
$170 per person, $300 for couples
(Current Hall of Fame members may book a complimentary ticket)
2-course meal and drinks included
Exclusive discounts for attendees to book a stay at Hyatt Place
Book your tickets now: https://www.trybooking.com/DKSXB
Don't miss this premier event celebrating the best of our school community! Proceeds from the evening help the Foundation assist the College with various scholarships.
We look forward to seeing you there.

To our entire College community - THANK YOU!
We hoped to reach a fundraising goal of $5000 - and you more than doubled that goal, donating $10,850 towards vital blood cancer research.
Last Tuesday, we had over 20 students and staff 'brave the shave', as they shaved, cut or dyed their hair in support of the Leukaemia Foundation. Special congratulations must go to our College Captains and student leaders, who were instrumental in organising the day, kept the vibes high, and did a power of fundraising work in the lead-up.
Photos from the day will soon follow - keep an eye on our socials!
Want to grow our total? Donations are still open! World's Greatest Shave - TEAM SBC
St Bernard’s College proudly congratulates Year 12 student Tyler on his outstanding achievements at the recent Australian Rowing Championships at Lake Barrington.
Representing the College in the Schoolboys Single Scull, Tyler delivered an exceptional performance to claim a silver medal 🥈 against the nation’s best.
Tyler also competed for Essendon Rowing Club across multiple events, achieving remarkable success:
🥇 Under 21 Lightweight Single – Gold
🥇 Under 23 Lightweight Men’s Four – Gold
🥇 Open Lightweight Men’s Four – Gold
4th – Under 19 Quad Scull
An incredible effort across a demanding regatta—we are extremely proud of Tyler’s dedication, resilience, and success on the national stage!

On Friday 20 March, students from our Units 1 & 2 Accounting classes were privileged to attend the latest Success Stories Breakfast hosted by financial advisory firm Matthews Steer. Read on for an account of the morning from student council member Hayden:
"Last Friday, 8 boys across three classes and myself attended a success stories networking breakfast at the Hyatt Place in Essendon fields, and this this insightful breakfast was an opportunity which stemmed from our participation in Unit 1 and 2 Accounting.
We arrived around 7AM, where many of the roughly 120 attendees were already there, giving us an opportunity to socialise with people from a wide range of business and fields (mostly in the accounting sector).
The main guest speaker for the event was Gerado Lopez, who spoke about his experiences of starting and growing his Mexican food brand ‘La Tortilleria’, discussing many innovative strategies that he used to be successful.
Overall, the morning was a great success as all of us boys were able to meet many people who provided insight into what a career in accounting looks like.”
Well done to our boys for leaning in to this learning opportunity, and thank you to Matthews Steer, Hyatt Place and all the brilliant guest speakers!
Thank you to all who have donated thus far - we're on track for another stellar year!

Team stats indicate that historically more donations are made during the holiday period, so with Easter just around the corner, this month is a great time to book in for your next donation.

Congratulations to teacher Mr McConnachie on achieving 50 donations- impressive effort!
From next term, I will be specifically encouraging our Year 12 students to be brave and make their first donation; if you have an 18-year-old at home, please talk to them about becoming a blood donor...for life.
Happy Easter everyone!
Last Friday, our Essendon Football Club Academy (EFCA) students had the incredible opportunity to step onto the hallowed turf of the MCG and participate in the pre-game Guard of Honour. Our students got to cheer the Essendon players on up close as they entered the arena for their match against Hawthorn.
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We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Essendon Football Club and our program leaders Mr Groves and Mr Camenzuli for making this unforgettable experience possible.
Today marks the conclusion of Harmony Week, a celebration of community and belonging.
We kicked off the week with a fast-paced handball tournament for our Year 7 and 8 students. Popular in Europe but not so much locally, our students had to adjust a little to the new game, but they were quickly making some highlight-worthy plays. Our Year 12s had their hands full refereeing each game!
At lunch on Wednesday, everyone was invited to add their thumbprint to our Harmony Week Banner, titled with this year’s theme ‘Everyone Belongs’. The rainbow of thumbprints reminded us of the rich diversity that makes our community so special.
We finished off the week with a round of lunchtime trivia hosted by our Academic Captain, where the questions were based on little-known facts about different cultures and histories.
Well done to our student-run Inclusivity Committee— together with our capable staff, they put a lot of effort into this week and it certainly showed!