“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” John 10:10

At St Bede’s, we are often reflecting on the deeper purpose of education and how it connects with our Catholic mission. While schools naturally aim to nurture knowledge and skills, Catholic education is called to something more. At a recent conference that I attended, a nun stated that we are called to shape hearts and minds so that children grow into people of faith, compassion, and service. Needless to say, this resonated greatly with me as I pondered our collective mission at St Bede’s. Education in this context is not only about what our students know, but also about who they are becoming.

At St Bede’s, our mission is to form young people who are resilient learners, compassionate friends, and to experience Christ. We seek to nurture each child so they may grow into the fullness of life and experience all that is on offer, both in the classroom and beyond.

We see this vision unfolding daily in our classrooms. When students engage in group work or team sports, they learn that persistence and collaboration are as important as getting the correct answer or scoring a goal. In Literacy, when a child discovers the joy of reading, they are developing both imagination and empathy, seeing the world through another’s eyes. In Religious Education, children are encouraged to reflect on Scripture and connect it with their own lives, discovering that faith is not abstract but deeply personal. These moments are more than lessons.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”. These words were spoken in the context of the “Good Shepherd”, where Jesus contrasts Himself with false shepherds of His time. Shepherds were central figures in first century Palestine. They were protectors, guides, and providers for their flocks. By describing Himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus assures His followers that He has come not to exploit or burden them, but to nurture, protect, and lead them into a life of fullness and joy. This message of abundant life was a radical promise of hope and dignity.

This same promise is the foundation of Catholic education. Just as the Good Shepherd tended to every sheep, our role is to ensure that each child is seen, valued, and supported. We want our students to experience education as more than a pathway to success. It is an invitation to a life filled with meaning, generosity, and growth.

Regards

Andrew

We are excited to share that students from Year 3 to Year 6 participated in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee this year.

This is a free, online competition open to students in Years 3 to 8 across Australia. It’s a fun and engaging way for children to build confidence, improve their spelling skills, and develop a genuine love of words and language.

We now have 20 students progressing to the next round! This next stage opens next week, and Mrs Heggaton will be facilitating the testing Wednesday morning. 

Congratulations to all students who participated.  

The P&F will be holding a Sports Sale on Friday, 19th September during school pick-up 

Families are invited to donate good-quality, pre-loved sports gear and sports uniforms, which will be sold at affordable prices to raise funds for future P&F projects.

Accepted donations include:

• Football boots and Soccer boots.
• Sports uniforms. 
• Balls, bats, and other equipment.
• Sports bags, jerseys, training gear, etc.
• Sports shoes (e.g. running shoes, trainers, court shoes).
• Ballet and dance items (e.g. leotards, tap shoes, jazz shoes, ballet shoes, tutus).
• Protective gear (e.g. shin guards, pads).
• Rackets and accessories (e.g. tennis, badminton, squash).
• Gymnastic leotards and gymnastics equipment (e.g. beams, air mats/tracks, bars etc).

*For safety and legal reasons we are unable to accept any helmets

Please drop off items to the front office from the 8th of September ready for the sale. 

With the holidays approaching, a range of activities for Defence families will soon be available. Program details will be shared as they come through, but in the meantime, please connect with the Duntroon Community Centre on Facebook or DFA for the latest updates.

If one of our Defence parents will be away for an extended period, please let us know so we can support your child during that time. With posting orders being released, this can be a period of uncertainty and worry for children. Please reach out if your Defence child needs extra support—we are here to help (elyse.charles@cg.catholic.edu.au).

South Weston Track and Field
Last Thursday, 40 students proudly represented St Bede’s at the South Weston Track and Field Carnival. Despite the chilly, drizzly weather, spirits remained high thanks to Mrs Palmer and Mrs Johnston, who ensured everyone was in the right place at the right time. Congratulations to our five qualifiers—Annie (Year 6), Rex (Year 3), Alice (Year 3), Georgia (Year 5), and Oliver (Year 4)—who will now compete at the ACT Track and Field Championships at the AIS on Tuesday, 16th September.

Boorowa Carnival
Thank you to all families who submitted entries for the Boorowa Carnival. We are now in the process of organising teams and coaches. In the coming weeks, we will be in touch with parents who have kindly offered to assist with coaching and umpiring.

Finals Time
Good luck to all students who are competing in their winter sport finals, or who have already taken part. We look forward to hearing about your experiences—most importantly, we hope you had fun!

Snowsports
Last Sunday, four students represented St Bede’s in the Interschools Snowsports ACT Cup. Blaire competed for the very first time and had a fantastic experience. Louis also competed in snowboarding for the first time and brought home a bronze medal! Xavier competed in snowboarding, narrowly missing out on a medal, while Arliah shone in alpine skiing, placing 11th overall. A wonderful effort by all! We also wish Xavier the best of luck as he heads to Mt Buller this week for the National Interschool Snowsports Championships.

Book Fair

A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Jeffs, Mrs Tregoning, and all of our wonderful teachers who assisted with this year’s Book Fair. Your time, energy, and encouragement of students made the event such a success.

We are also very grateful to our parents and families for supporting the Book Fair through your purchases. By investing in books, you are helping nurture a love of reading and showing our children the value of stories and learning.

Book Club 

A special thank you goes to Lisa Wright, our dedicated Book Club Coordinator, for her ongoing commitment in organising orders and supporting families. We also extend our thanks to Gavin and Meghan Meacham and to Kristian Futol and Louise Futol who generously assisted with distribution. 

Your support makes a real difference in promoting literacy and ensuring our students have every opportunity to enjoy reading.

This is a gentle reminder that school fees for this term are now due. If you have already made payment, please disregard this message. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, we encourage you to contact the school office in confidence to discuss flexible arrangements.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our school community.

The following students received an award in Week 6:

WALK IN LOVE AND PEACE AWARDS