I would like to extend a warm welcome to all families commencing or returning to St Bernard’s this year. I hope that you all have had a restful break and the opportunity to spend time with family and friends.

A special welcome to our new Year 7 students and their families. On speaking with many of them last week, when asked how they were feeling, responses ranged from “Excited” and “Hyped!” to “A little bit scared”. All these responses are totally understandable and I know now that many has eased into the rhythm of Year 7 quite seamlessly.

In speaking with students upon their return, I had a few simple messages I wished them to think about.

Firstly, we are a Catholic school in the Blessed Edmund Rice tradition. This gives us a rich history and moral compass to follow. It means we treat each other with respect because we value the dignity of each person.

Secondly I spoke about working to form excellent relationships with their teachers. Respectful and right relationships between teachers and students are the foundation upon which students learning can flourish.

We also explored what it means to be a “Bernard’s boy” and the types of behaviors that being a member of this community expects.

Finally I asked our young men to have the courage to move out of their comfort zone in their learning and explore all the various opportunities and events open to them at St Bernard’s. If they choose to engage with their staff and their learning in a way that creates partnership rather than a one way street, then their time at school becomes more enriching.

I look forward to working with you all across the year.

Welcome:

We begin 2020 welcoming the newest student members to our ensemble programs and we look forward to working with them. In Term Two we will be taking some of our senior ensembles to compete in the annual Generations in Jazz festival in Mt Gambier. This is a great opportunity for our students to hear performances from world-renowned musicians and to see their peers from schools around the country performing great music.

New Students:

We welcome the many Year 8 students starting instrumental lessons this year following the successful 2019 Year 7 Music Program. New students undertaking lessons are invited to join the Concert Band rehearsing Thursday mornings at 7:30pm in the Music rooms.

Large Ensemble Rehearsals throughout Semester One:

• Show Band - Mondays 3:00pm – 4:00pm
• Symphonic Band - Tuesdays 7:30am – 8:30am
• Big Band - Wednesdays 3:00pm – 4:00pm
• Concert Band - Thursdays 7:30am – 8:30am
• Choir - Fridays 7:30am – 8:30am
• Guitar – Including Electric, Acoustic, Bass
• Percussion/Drums
• Piano/Keyboard
• Voice
• Woodwind – Including Saxophone, Clarinet, flute
• Brass – Including Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba

National Eisteddfod, Canberra May 20-23

Students in Concert Band and Big Band are invited to attend the Australian National Eisteddfod in Canberra, May 20-23. For further details regarding payment/forms, please email jstewart@sbc.vic.edu.au.

Music Lessons:

Music lessons and ensemble rehearsals commenced this week and I invite parents and students to visit the music department page - for lesson details and other music department information. This information has been communicated by email to relevant students also. I encourage all our ongoing musicians to check the page regularly for lesson and rehearsal times. For new members to our learning community, details concerning signing up please contact me via email - jstewart@sbc.vic.edu.au.

Instrument tuition on offer at the college in 2020 includes:

Friends of Music:

I invite all parents to become involved in the Friends of Music Program. Becoming involved in Friends of Music is not only a great way to find out about music at St Bernard’s, but helps support your son’s learning too! The 2020 meeting schedule for the Friends of Music program will be published in next fortnight’s newsletter.

Work Experience for 2020 Year 10 students

Please note the following does not apply to Year 10 Agere.

Students have had since July 2019 to organise their placement. There have been multiple resources and opportunities to engage in this process and so too, seek out individual assistance from myself. Most are well on track and it is very pleasing to see the wide range of industries our young men are throwing themselves into. Just today I spoke with a student spending a week in Sale with the ADF!

If your son is still unsure about his placement, he must email me immediately. Students have until 28 February to return their forms to me.

If you have any queries, please refer first to the ‘Work Experience Student and Parent Guide’. This document is found in the student’s MYSBC page: Year 10/Careers Information/Yrs 9-11.

Further, for those who have already organised their placement with a building tradesperson (carpenter, electrician, plumber, cabinet maker, landscape gardener) students must email me immediately. In Victorian schools, students are not allowed on any work site unless they receive some additional information from their school first.

Even if your son is simply considering the idea of working with a tradesperson, he must contact me immediately.

This year the college celebrates eighty years of history, an opportune time to look back at the significant first decade.

1939 - Dr Mannix, the Archbishop of Melbourne, requested a new College be erected at Hutcheson Street Moonee Ponds, on the property which was formally the orchard next to the Brother' Residence

1940 - A four room two-storey building was built, and blessed by Dr. Mannix on 21 July. On 20 August, the Feast of St Bernard, Yr 7 to 11 moved into the new school, from the temporary classrooms at St.Monica's Boys School. The Founding headmaster was Br K Cregan.

1942 - Br Anselm Kearney commenced his term as Principal

1943 - Cadet unit formed of 65 students

1947 - The College Crest and new uniform were designed by incoming Principal, Br Greg Smith. The handball court was constructed and used for target practise by the cadets

1948 - A photo shows 76 ladies attending the inaugural meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary. Tuck shop began operating, staffed by mothers.

The St Bernard's College Welcoming Community Group would like to invite you to join College staff and students for International Women's Day.

Hear from Laura Di Pasquale, Community Development Officer Edmund Rice Services - Mt Atkinson, as she speaks about "Generation Equality" Realising Women's Rights.

This will be followed by morning tea.

Only 100 places are available so book early.

On Friday 6 March 2020 at 9:30am

The 2020 ACC Athletics campaign began in earnest last Tuesday morning and the numbers in attendance were excellent on a perfect morning for training. Athletics team coordinator Xavier Cox was very pleased with the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the team as the individual coaches put the boys through their training drills and this is a good sign for the coming season

After the senior boys had taken the team through their warm-up routine Mr Cox introduced the 2020 coaching panel, which this year includes seven old collegians. Five of these young men, James Borrelli, Mitchel Brown, Patrick Matthews, Alex Sykes and Jai Keighery experienced great success with the college athletic team in St Bernard’s dominant period between 2001 and 2014. In that time the college won thirteen titles in fourteen years and these five old collegians mentioned above share a total of 21 ACC Athletic titles between them.

It has been six years since the team last brought home the Old Collegian Shield and many would say the athletics team is in a rebuilding phase at the moment. We know that there are a number of areas where improvement is needed and we don’t really know the strength of the new Year 7 group, but it was hard not to feel excited at the first training session. With those past champions on board, bringing a wealth of experience to the group, we are hoping they can help bring back that winning feeling.

Trials for all ACC teams across all year levels are during term one.

We are seeking ex-students to help select teams during these trials, with the opportunity to then coach, with the assistance of SBC staff members.

These opportunities are for all ACC term sports, across the seven to ten year levels.

If you are interested in this, please contact Ms Wade via email: jwade@sbc.vic.edu.au

Any student will need at tax file number if he/she starts work (part-time & full-time) and all students planning on a tertiary education require one when they start.

Importantly, current Year 12 students are reminded that they cannot enrol in a CSP (Commonwealth Support Place) course at university without a Tax File Number, so it is worthwhile getting an application submitted early!

Students must apply for a TFN online and have their identity verified through an interview at a participating Australia Post office.

To apply and also to find out about participating Post Offices, visit TFN Application

ENROLMENT APPLICATION

Year 7, 2022

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING

New & Current Families

TUESDAY 17th March 2020, 7:00 PM

O'Brien Centre Gymnasium

This evening is for Parents & Caregivers only.

Booking for the Parent Information Evening is not necessary.

Please click here for College Tour Information & Booking

For more information please call our College Receptionist Jenette Nicholl on 9289 1182 (Wed - Friday)

Many thanks to our amazing parent volunteers who serve each Tuesday evening on the St Vincent de Paul Soup Van.

This service runs all year round through school holidays also, so a special thanks goes to SBC families who give up their holiday time to serve those less fortunate.