WE ARE ALL PILGRIMS

 “What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

It is a joy to return to the life and rhythm of St Bede’s after an extraordinary pilgrimage through Italy. It was a journey of faith, reflection, and deep personal renewal. While I travelled across sacred landscapes and walked in the footsteps of saints, I never felt I walked alone. The spirit of the St Bede’s community journeyed with me. 

This pilgrimage was especially significant as I found myself in Rome during the conclave to elect our new pope. To be in the heart of the Church at such a historic moment, standing in St Peter’s Square, surrounded by pilgrims from every corner of the world was profoundly moving. The election of Pope Leo was a powerful reminder that the Holy Spirit continues to guide and renew our Church.

One of the most moving experiences of the journey was visiting the resting place of Pope Francis, whose papacy shaped the modern Church with compassion, humility and bold calls for inclusion and justice. Standing there, I reflected on his life of service and prayed that the spirit he modelled continues to be alive at St Bede’s; in our staff, in our students, and in the way we care for one another.

Passing through the Holy Doors at St Peter’s Basilica and other significant basilicas, I carried with me the prayers and intentions of our whole school community. That simple act of crossing a threshold became a symbol of the grace and hope I see every day in our classrooms, our playgrounds, and our families.

Assisi was another highlight. The peaceful home of St Francis, St Clare and the future saint in Carlos Acutis, the first millennial saint, was where I found moments of quiet to pray and reflect on the mission of Catholic education and members of our school community. At San Damiano, where Francis first heard the call to “Rebuild my Church,” I was reminded that our mission at St Bede’s is also to build: build character, build community, and build lives rooted in Gospel values.

Throughout the pilgrimage, I kept returning to a simple but powerful verse from Scripture:
“What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” This verse echoes in the hearts of saints like Francis, Clare, Catherine of Siena, Benedict, Peter, and Paul, and I believe it is lived out, in small but real ways, by our students every day. When children help one another in the playground, stand up for what’s right, include someone who feels left out, or show care in the classroom, they are walking humbly, loving mercy, and acting justly.

At St Bede’s, we encourage our students to be young people of integrity, kindness and faith. The scripture above is a reminder to us all, that a meaningful life doesn’t require perfection. It simply asks us to live with a heart open to others, a sense of fairness, and a spirit of humility. These are the values that build strong children, strong schools, and strong communities.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Mrs Breen Fox, who led our school with such steadiness and care during my time away. Her leadership, along with the professionalism and commitment of our wonderful staff, ensured our school continued to flourish. I’m incredibly grateful to return to such a vibrant and loving community.

As I resume my role as Principal, I carry the blessings of this pilgrimage with me. Even more than that, I return inspired by the way our students and staff live out the Gospel each day. We are all pilgrims growing, learning, and journeying together in faith.

Regards

Andrew

As part of our commitment to maintaining a focused and respectful learning environment at St Bede’s, we remind families of our expectations around personal devices at school.

Students who bring mobile phones are required to hand them in at the office each morning upon arrival. Phones are securely stored and can be collected again at the end of the school day.

Similarly, students wearing smart watches should not be using them to send messages or make calls during school time. These features can be highly distracting and disrupt both the wearer and those around them.

We appreciate your support in reinforcing these expectations with your child. Working together helps us ensure that all students can remain present and engaged in their learning throughout the day.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

As the colder months settle in, we kindly remind families of the importance of ensuring students are wearing the correct winter uniform each day. Please note that shorts are not permitted on non-sport days and students are expected to wear long pants or the appropriate winter alternatives as outlined in our uniform guide.

A further reminder that black shoes are required as part of the full school uniform. We ask for your support in maintaining these standards, which help foster a sense of belonging, pride and consistency across our school community.

Starting next week, students who are not in correct uniform may receive a uniform infringement notice as a way of helping us track and follow up on these expectations. If you are experiencing difficulty sourcing any uniform items, please don’t hesitate to contact the school for assistance.

Thank you for your continued support.

Teachers are now preparing for student semester reporting through COMPASS, combined with Parent/Teacher interviews.  Please refer to a letter sent via Compass on 29 May with updates on the reporting schedule for 2025.

• Student Semester One Reports will be available in COMPASS on Thursday 3 July (last day of Term 2).
• The Compass portal will open for parent bookings on Tuesday 10 June. Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held from Monday 23 June – Friday 27 June (Week 9). 
• Personalised Plan meetings are being conducted over Weeks 5, 6 and 7. If you are attending one of these meetings, you are not required to have a follow up Parent/Teacher Interview.

If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.

St Bede's have been invited to host a conference on Wednesday 11 June.  Presenters from Steplab will conduct professional development for teachers from multiple schools for the whole day in our school hall.  With over 50 participants expected, we need to make some temporary arrangements on the day to assist our guests:

• The hall will be closed to parents and students between 9am-4pm.
• Camp Australia will relocate before and after-school care to the library for this day.

Parking arrangements: 

1. Staff parking will be relocated to the Nuyts Street/Top carpark for this day.
2. The front row of the Nuyts Street/Top carpark will be left vacant to provide a DROP-OFF lane, supervised by staff, where parents can conduct a quick drop off via a drive through.
3. Parents and visitors will have access to the main and overflow dirt carparks off Hicks Street.
4. Our 5-minute carpark spots will remain vacant for access during the day if you are collecting students for appointments, arriving late or leaving early.

We acknowledge that there will be congestion on the day and you may be limited to street parking for this one-off event as you arrive for drop off and pick up.  Visitors will be parked all day between 8:30am-4:30pm. We thank you for your patience and assistance to welcome and support our visitors on this day.  

Breen Fox 

Assistant Principal

The following students received an award in Week 6:

WALK IN LOVE AND PEACE AWARDS

PRINCIPAL'S AWARD