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St Bernard’s College welcomed back The Man Cave on Thursday for an inspiring Year 12 retreat, marking a fantastic start to the 2025 academic year. The day kicked off with engaging activities that fostered camaraderie among students, setting the stage for a journey of personal growth and self-discovery.
This year’s retreat, themed “Becoming: How can we become the best version of ourselves?”, was facilitated by the incredible team at The Man Cave. This charity is dedicated to preventative mental health and emotional intelligence, guiding students through a variety of reflective activities.
As the final year for our Year 12 students, this retreat holds special significance. It is an important year filled with both challenges and opportunities, making it crucial for students to come together and support one another. The retreat not only strengthened bonds but also provided a much-needed space for students to reflect on their paths and aspirations. Coming together for such days is essential in fostering a sense of community and shared purpose, helping students navigate their final year with confidence and resilience.
College Principal, Dr Michael Davies, shares his first video newsletter with the community for 2025. Tune in to hear what he has to share in this year’s first episode of ‘From the Principal’.
St Bernard’s College welcomed back The Man Cave on Thursday for an inspiring Year 12 retreat, marking a fantastic start to the 2025 academic year. The day kicked off with engaging activities that fostered camaraderie among students, setting the stage for a journey of personal growth and self-discovery.
This year’s retreat, themed “Becoming: How can we become the best version of ourselves?”, was facilitated by the incredible team at The Man Cave. This charity is dedicated to preventative mental health and emotional intelligence, guiding students through a variety of reflective activities.
As the final year for our Year 12 students, this retreat holds special significance. It is an important year filled with both challenges and opportunities, making it crucial for students to come together and support one another. The retreat not only strengthened bonds but also provided a much-needed space for students to reflect on their paths and aspirations. Coming together for such days is essential in fostering a sense of community and shared purpose, helping students navigate their final year with confidence and resilience.
The buzz is back! It was wonderful to welcome our new Year 7 students on Monday morning, along with our returning Year 9, 11, and 12 students. There was a mix of nerves and excitement in the air. A big thank you to our Welcoming Community Group for organising the morning tea for our new Year 7 parents.
Our Year 9 Santa Monica and Urban Engagement programs also kicked off last week. Some of our Urban Engagement students even spotted the Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, and were bold enough to capture the moment with a selfie!
We then welcomed our Year 8 and 10 students back on Tuesday, where they were also informed and inspired to embrace this year's theme 'Be Bold'. We anticipate many great opportunities for our students at St Bernard’s this year and encourage them to continue being bold and seizing the opportunities on offer!
Today, we gathered to celebrate our Opening College Mass. It was wonderful to have Fr Bernie Lane, an old collegian of the College, as our celebrant speaking fondly of his time as a student at St Bernard’s. We were also honoured to welcome special guests from EREA and the School Advisory Council.
The celebration was enriched by a community address from our College Principal, Dr Michael Davies, and Deputy Principal, Ms Therese Wilson. It was also wonderful to see our 2025 College Captains taking an active role in various parts of the Mass, setting a great example for their peers. Additionally, our talented musicians enhanced the celebration with their beautiful performances.
As we embark on this new academic journey, we are committed to living out our touchstones: providing a liberating education, grounded in gospel spirituality, within an inclusive community dedicated to justice and solidarity.
We look forward to a successful and fulfilling year ahead, united in our mission and values.
The evening began with introductions from Essendon Football Club liaisons Kristen Bull and Mark Bolton, followed by a warm welcome speech from our College Principal, Dr Michael Davies. The highlight of the night was an engaging Q&A session with AFL player Xavier Duursma, and former St Bernard’s old collegians and current Essendon Football Club staff, James Polkinghorne and Chris Bryne.
It was wonderful to hear our old collegians speak fondly of their time at the College and remind students how fortunate they are to have the facilities and opportunities available at St Bernard’s. They shared valuable insights into life behind the scenes at the AFL, offering great advice on stepping out of comfort zones and making introductions, as these small actions can open doors in the future. Their anecdotes added a touch of humour to the evening.
This exciting new opportunity at St Bernard’s College promises to open doors, providing our students with invaluable experiences and connections. The event offered a fascinating look into the diverse roles and responsibilities within the AFL, showcasing the extensive work behind the scenes by both players and support staff.
We are immensely grateful to offer this new opportunity to our students. Thank you to the Essendon Football Club for making this night possible and for this new partnership.
We eagerly anticipate the growth of our students and the EFCA program throughout 2025 and beyond. We are excited to see our students embark on this journey and can’t wait to witness the amazing things they will achieve.
The boys engaged in team-building challenges, coaching workshops, cooking, raft-making, and racing. It was a weekend filled with learning, laughter, and plenty of cricket on the beach.
This unforgettable experience provided our student leadership team with a wonderful opportunity for growth and some fun before embarking on a significant year leading our community at St Bernard’s.
As a school in the tradition of the blessed Edmund Rice, we ‘learn’ and we ‘do.’ Over the course of your time as a valued member of the St Bernard’s community, you will have learned of Project Compassion and how they unite against poverty. 2025 is our chance to unite for them; they provide for those who don’t have the means to provide for themselves. Any donation is significant and will tangibly help those in need.
Embedded within all of us in the St Bernard’s community is the desire to help others, and this is our chance to live that. Please follow the steps outlined below on how to provide a tax-deductible donation.
Mingle with fellow parents, enjoy delightful champagne and canapés, and make new connections in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to be part of our vibrant community.
With separate events, depending on the year level of your son, they promise to be a great night out and an opportunity to mingle with fellow parents. Please note that the Year 9 event will now be combined with the Year 10, 11, and 12 parent event on Friday, 21 March. Year 9 parents can use the same booking link as the Year 10, 11, and 12 Cocktail event.
See our website’s Events Page for more details and to secure your spot.
Following the success of our 2024 blood drive, the College Lifeblood team has begun donations in earnest. Our new target for 2025 is to reach 210 donations by 1 December 2025.
For families and friends of the St Bernard’s community who are interested in joining our dedicated St Bernard’s College Lifeblood team and making a lifesaving donation, please start by visiting the Lifeblood website and taking the eligibility quiz (link below).
You can donate at any Australian Lifeblood Donor Centre, with the closest to St Bernard’s being the Lifeblood Airport West Donor Centre.
The College’s Mobile Phone Policy has been sent to all parents and can also be located here. In summary, students are required to have their mobile phones in their locker from 8:30am until they depart school at 2:55pm. Should a parent or caregiver need to contact their son urgently this can be done through main reception.
Morning Buses
Essendon Campus
Resurrection House (Year 9)
Afternoon Buses
Essendon Campus
NOTE Buses stop in the bus bays at the front of St Bernards and are marked according to year levels.
Resurrection House (Year 9)
For safety reasons, students are requested NOT to cross Buckley Street to access Essendon Station buses. Main campus buses will not collect students from Resurrection House.
As these are PTV services, students are required to touch on and off using a valid MYKI card.
Students can also use our regular route service (465) via the Buckley Street pedestrian tunnel. The “Journey Planner” app is useful for planning public transport journeys outside these services.
Ryan’s Bus Service: (03) 9335 4666
