In July 2013 Lily Hester, sister of Oliver, a Year 10 St Bernard’s student, was diagnosed with an extremely rare liver cancer.

Lily endured over 6 months of chemotherapy, 6 operations and radiation amongst other tests, scans and many, many hospital visits.

In January 2014, Lily did go into remission, however after another scan in March 2014 Lily’s family was told the most devastating news of their lives – Lily was terminally ill.

Lily fought hard, was brave and an inspiration. Lily, so sadly passed away on the 11th of August 2014. The Foundation was established to honour Lily. The hope of the Foundation will be to find a cure for childhood cancer.

This last week the students of St Bernard's College have been riding 5 stationary bikes in support of the Live for Lily bike ride. The students have raised much needed funds over the last week, and we are proud of all their efforts.

We wish Oliver Hester (Year 10) all the best of luck on his 1000km bike ride over the holiday period. His strength and determination are what every SBC student should strive to have.

During Term 1, Year 9 Food Safari students have explored European cuisine and its influences on eating in Australia.

The boys have worked in small teams to bottle their own passata and make fresh pasta. They then compared their pasta to commercial products.

A big thank you to Mr. John Villella and his sister Angela for leading the passata making masterclass and for sharing their family traditions, passata machine and a delicious meal with us.

Our St Bernard's Rowing Team competed at The Nationals over the past weekend, placing 6th which makes them the 6th best fast sprint coxed quad in Australia! The crew were only 3.66 seconds behind first place - showcasing how close the competition overall was. Well done boys! We are extremely proud of your accomplishment and are looking forward to a strong rowing future at SBC!

At the start of the 2022 debating year, we saw a massive rise in interest of new younger debaters. This was both exciting and so refreshing to see!

Thomas and I have been avid debaters and public speakers since we both joined the debating club in year 8. It has been a significant part of our St Bernard’s experience. The skills we have acquired from debating have spanned far more than just speaking publicly. It has allowed us to develop our expertise in research, communication, team work as well as allowing us to tackle important topical issues with nuance and impartiality.

We encourage anyone interested in debating or public speaking to join the debating team next year as well as apply for the ACC Intermediate and Junior public speaking and debating competitions which will occur in August and November respectively.

Each year, St Bernard’s College hosts the Essendon region for the Debating Association of Victoria that comprises of all schools in the surrounding Essendon area. Round one for debating occurred on Tuesday the 15^th of March.

• For the first round of debates, our D graders argued the topic ‘That sporting bodies should not accept the sponsorship from gambling companies’. St Bernard’s D grade teams 5, 6 and 3 all held the affirmative view on this debate. St Bernard’s teams 1,2 and 4 were appointed the negative side for this debate. Our D grade teams 1,3, and 5 all won their first debate! Best speakers for these debates were Lucas Ciavarella and Matthew Skidmore.
• The B grade team were given the topic ‘That artists should be held legally accountable for the deaths and injuries that occur in their concerts’. However, the B graders won by forfeit.
• The A grade team were tasked with exploring the intricacies of vaccination with the topic ‘That people who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 by choice should not have access to the public health system’. The A grade team were given the negative side to this debate and won by 5 points and the best speaker being appointed to Thomas Alessandrini.

The second round of debating occurred on Monday the 28^th of March. This one proved a little more arduous, with only one team securing a win that night. Round of applause to D Grade Team 1 for winning, but also a round of applause to all the debaters who poured a lot of time and effort into preparing well-constructed cases.

The D grade topic for the Round 2 debate was ‘That we should abolish the Australian citizenship test’, an insightful and complex topic that allowed the boys to flex their thinking skills. Congratulations to Joshua Zanella for winning best speaker, despite the near loss.

The B grade topic for the round 2 debate was ‘That only citizens and permanent residents should be able to own property in Australia. A challenging case, but our B graders lost to Maribyrnong College on that night.

The A grade topic for this debate was ‘That we prefer a hung parliament to a majority government’; a difficult topic that forced us to criticize our parliamentary system, ultimately to our downfall where we lost a fierce debate against Buckley Park.

A job well done to all those that debated, but all those that contribute to speech-writing and research. Your work does not go unnoticed! We wish the best of luck to all the teams entering the next rounds!

The students of St Bernard’s were joined by award winning author James Phelan and Manga artist Kenny Chan for a creative writing and Manga art workshop. The event was held in the Mitchell Library and was attended by 45 students. A fun and creative time was enjoyed by those who participated, the boys were able to develop and enhance their creative writing and art skills. Learning from James and Kenny has been a valuable experience as they were able to delve deep into various aspects of writing and art that have allowed them to be experts in their field.

The Year 7 and Year 8 cohort were treated to a presentation from James Phelan and were able to learn valuable insights into the life and learnings of a very successful Melbourne author.

Mitchell Library will be closed over the April school holiday break.

Holiday Reading recommendations

The betrayal of Anne Frank

This is a cold case investigation into who betrayed the family of Anne Frank. It is an intriguing search for the truth of a shocking time in world history. This book brings to life wartime Amsterdam: a place where no matter how wealthy, educated, or careful you were, you never knew whom you could trust. Using new technology, recently discovered documents and sophisticated investigative techniques, an international team—led by an obsessed retired FBI agent—has finally solved the mystery that has haunted generations since World War II: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?

SEL (social and emotional learning) Read

Honeybee by Craig Silvey

This story follows Sam and Vic. Sam is a teenager who is struggling with his dysfunctional family and gender identity and Vic is coming to terms with a medical diagnosis and the loss of his wife. Both Vic and Sam meet when they are at a very low point however their friendship transforms their lives and strengthens their belief in themselves and accepting people for who they are. This is a wonderful read that may challenge the reader however is heartwarming and ultimately triumphant. Highly recommended.

What an eventful and productive Term 1 we have had in the Languages Department with our students. It has been wonderful having the boys back for a full term of face-to-face learning. This year we welcome Sensei Ryx Wang and Sensei Christopher Lee teaching Japanese and we thank Professoressa Viviana Stangherlin for replacing Professoressa Diana Dodig who was on leave and returns to the team at the beginning of Term 2 teaching Italian.

It gives me great pleasure to share the successful results of our school competing in the Education Perfect World Languages Championship 2022 competition last month. From March 8 – 15 our boys were challenged to answer as many questions correctly using the EP platform in Italian and Japanese, to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the language they are learning. Participants earned a point for every question answered correctly. The results are outstanding and for the first time in our five-year history of the competition, we have our first student to achieve the highest award category Elite. Congratulations to Ethan Gissara (Year 8 Italian) in Professoressa Rabusin’s class for achieving a massive 10,408 points. Ethan spent approximately 30 hours completing questions and modules across that week and this demonstrates phenomenal discipline, commitment, hard work and dedication.

Alongside Ethan as our top scorer, there are 30 other boys who also worked extremely hard to achieve their respective awards. Please see the list of names below of all the boys who excelled in this competition.

The Languages Team look forward to recognising the achievements of all the boys when we return in Term 2 at our upcoming High Achievers Assembly, where the boys will each receive their Award and a prize.

I wish all in our community una Buona Pasqua (a Happy Easter) with your families during the term break and look forward to working with your son in Term 2.

Saluti / Arigatou,

As of Tuesday 9th February, 2022, the Uniform Shop will be operating by appointment only. This will help alleviate lengthy queues during peak periods.

Click here to make an appointment

If you know the sizes of the items you require, visit https://shop.sbc.vic.edu.au/ to order online.

For all other uniform enquiries, please email rbuhagiar@sbc.vic.edu.au or phone 9289 1176.

An interesting article for students looking back to the 1950’s in a periodical called “Our Studies”.

Telephone Etiquette

So many people use the telephone much more than letters as a means of communication, that it is surprising some emphasis is not made in English classes on the manner of its use.

1. Clear the Air

Answering the telephone with a meaningless “Hello” does not help at all. Something informative should be said, either by giving the receiver’s name or number.

2. Dial Correctly

To connect with a wrong number causes not only inconvenience to the receiver but also avoidable expense.

3. Explain Delays

It is not uncommon to ask for someone on the telephone and then be left for as long as five minutes during an unexplained delay. Such annoyance can be avoided either by informing the caller of the likely delay, or by suggesting that the caller may wish to ring later at a more convenient time.

4. Speaking Distinctly

Too many take for granted that their normal mumbling or slurred speech will pass muster just as well on the telephone as it will otherwise. It is necessary to make a conscious effort at distinctness.

5. Write it Down

Beside every private telephone there should be a memo pad and pen to record any phone numbers or messages.

6. Be Brief

Even though the telephone call is a more or less informal medium of communication. There are reasons why it should not be prolonged inordinately. Someone else may be waiting to make an urgent call.

7. No Confidences

Cross lines have sometimes been the cause of embarrassment and even injustice.

8. The Initiative

Awkwardness in terminating a telephone conversation would often be avoided if it was remembered that the initiative for terminating a call belongs to the caller.

9. Share the Burden

A reminder is needed for some thoughtless people who leave it to other members of the family to answer the telephone whenever it rings.

10. Be Pleasant

An individual’s personality is often found to be shown in the use of the telephone. The mechanical impersonality of the instrument needs a little human warmth.

Reference: Our Studies - Volume 30 No. 2 September 1957

• Flight Training & Aviation

RMIT’s Flight Training School has added 24 new aircrafts to its fleet, and this top of the range fleet allows students to use and be trained with the latest aircrafts while they study.

RMIT offers two courses that lead to a qualification as a pilot.

• Bachelor of Aviation (Pilot Training) – a 3-year degree where students gain the skills to become a commercial pilot while also learning about the aviation industry.

Conducted on both the City Campus and at the RMIT Flight Training School at Point Cook Airfield, this degree gives students a broad, coherent and detailed body of knowledge and theory related to the global aviation industry, preparing them for a successful career in the skies.
Students build the skills necessary, to critically review and analyse all aspects of the aviation industry and learn how to work both individually and in teams to solve real industry issues. Students graduate with a vast array of tools and knowledge to communicate to a diverse range of stakeholders and manage industry-specific projects.

In addition to extensive theory work, this degree includes flight training. This training will assist students to gain a Recreational (RPL), Private (PPL), and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), which enables them to fly commercially within Australia.

• Associate Degree in Aviation (Professional Pilots) – a 2-year associate degree where students develop the necessary skills and knowledge to apply for a recreational pilot licence (RPL), a private pilot licence (PPL) and gain the aeronautical knowledge, practical skills and appropriate behaviours required to achieve the CASA certification as a Commercial Pilot. In the final semester students have a choice between instrument rating (IREX) with a frozen Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) or Instructor Rating (FIR).
  Graduates of this course have a guaranteed pathway to the Bachelor of Aviation (Pilot Training).

RMIT Flight training has also released a video for students considering studying at either the Point Cook or Bendigo training sites. The video details the course structures for both the Associate Degree in Aviation (Professional Pilots) and the Bachelor of Applied Science (Aviation) programs.

Watch the video here.

After a difficult two years of COVID the Welcoming Community Group invite you to come and celebrate once again.

Don't miss out! There are only 150 tickets available for this event.

Tickets are $105 per person and all inclusive

- Champagne on Arrival
- Three course dinner with drinks.
- DJ Entertainment.

Friday 17 June 2022 6:30 PM - 11:00 PM