Since 1878, the year in which CBC St Kilda was founded by the Christian Brothers, the College has taught generations of inner-city Melbourne boys. Our 130 years of service as a Catholic secondary school have given us a special sense of purpose and a respected and meaningful place in the Melbourne community. CBC St Kilda's heritage is a rich vein, constantly providing us with inspiration.
Certainly there are tangible reminders of tradition at the College such as the beautifully preserved nineteenth-century buildings at the heart of our lively St Kilda campus - but to me the essence of our tradition lies in the ethic and spirit of the boys conduct that can be seen in the boys themselves.
People often tell me that the CBC St Kilda boys today, are like the CBC St Kilda boys of forty or fifty years ago. Of course we know that this can't be so, but there is something in the traditions and life of the College that encourages very good manners and kindness. In other words, CBC St Kilda boys are really terrific young gentlemen. I believe that giving our boys the very best in education, while also helping them to become fine human beings, is what CBC St Kilda is all about.
Contemporary thinking
At CBC St Kilda, we see it as our duty as educators to be aware of current research and of key research findings in the field of secondary education. We carefully assess these findings in the context of what we know, from our own experience and what works best for the boys at CBC St Kilda. In this way we are able to offer our students the very best learning options available, without losing sight of our traditional values.
This is the philosophy that informs our approach to teaching, and to which all members of our dedicated and highly skilled staff are committed. It is because we have such a strong sense of who we are as a school that we are able, in a sense, to reinvent ourselves in discerning ways. This openness & together with a boundless capacity for lateral thinking enables us to keep pace with our world and its ever-increasing demands. We believe however, that it is most important to be able to recognise the difference between those things that must be updated and the constant, unchanging values that bring depth to our lives.
Educating the whole person
In its deepest sense, learning means far more than classroom achievement. While we value and celebrate strong academic results, the academic curriculum is just one of many areas where our boys undertake learning.
Our mandate is to educate the whole person. Every boy is much more than just a student. He is also a spiritual person, an emotional person, a recreational and a social person. Our aim as a school is to provide learning opportunities that will foster balanced development of the whole person. Therefore our programs need to be wide and deep, and flexible enough, to make it possible for every boy at CBC St Kilda to discover who he is becoming and where his capabilities lie.
Our evolving partnership with Presentation College Windsor means that the boys have a host of opportunities to participate in lessons and co-curricular activities with girls of their own age while at the same time benefiting from the documented advantages of single-sex education. We believe that our relationship with PCW allows us to offer our students the best of both worlds.
Life skills and a moral compass
Life skills are at the core of a CBC St Kilda education. The most current research tells us that many high-achieving adults share one distinctive personal quality; surprisingly, this is not a high IQ. The more important ability is what is called emotional intelligence: the capacity to get along well with others.
Social literacy, the set of skills we all need if we are to have strong, positive and mutually respectful relationships with others can offer the individual an enormous advantage in real-world contexts. At CBC St Kilda, one of our key goals is to ensure that the boys learn social literacy skills as a vital complement to their classroom learning. We also work very hard to help each boy develop resilient, positive attitudes and an optimistic, solution-oriented approach towards life's many challenges.
Our most important role however, is that of instilling a deep sense of moral and spiritual values for each person and for the school community. We put a great deal of energy into ensuring that the school has a strong, clear moral voice and that our Catholic Faith is enacted daily. Our hope is that the words and deeds of Jesus become living, relevant moral principles, that the boys will apply in their day-to-day lives.
We would like to think that as each one of our boys leave CBC St Kilda to enter the adult world, he leaves with a strong personal understanding of what living life as a good person means. This is especially important in our contemporary society. If we succeed in this crucial area, and I believe that we are succeeding, we have gone a long way towards fulfilling our deepest mission as educators.
The charism of Blessed Edmund Rice, expressed in the example of his deeds, the wisdom of his writings, and the lived experience of the Christian Brothers throughout history and the world, provides a powerful source of inspiration for the College as we continue to respond to the call to educate the hearts and minds of the young.
In constantly renewing our efforts to provide an authentic, contemporary and sustaining education we also draw from the values expressed in the Gospels, as embodied in the mission and ministry of Jesus. These values call us to recognise and affirm the uniqueness of each individual, the presence of the divine in all, and the promise of redemption and growth.
The Christian Brothers College community is marked by an energetic and enthusiastic commitment to realising the vision, mission and practice of our College through a continual reinterpretation of the values contained in the life of Jesus, the ministry of Catholic Education, and the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice.
In embracing and living out these traditions Christian Brothers' College is distinguished by a culture based on the following characteristics: the provision of a holistic high quality education for every student, recognition of the authenticity of the spirituality of all members of the College community, purposeful strengthening of each individual's relationship with God, a secure, strong and inclusive community that recognises the dignity of every member, courageous and active service of others undertaken through a commitment to justice and equity, compassionate understanding of the needs of all, deliberate seeking out and solidarity with those at the margins of our society, deep reflectiveness which guides thought and actions.
CBC St Kilda possesses extensive high quality learning facilities. The College has four Science Laboratories, a major Music Centre with an outdoor concert stage and a three storey Creative Arts Centre which is used for design technology, art, ceramics, and visual communication and design. In addition there is easy and comprehensive student access to technology, including computer rooms, individual Netbook provision at the Year 9 Balaclava Campus, and data projection facilities in a large number of learning spaces.
The College Library is an impressive Multimedia Learning Resource Centre. The College also boasts a 25m heated indoor swimming pool, which is used as part of the Health and Physical Education program; for swimming training, as well as being utilised outside of school hours by an independent swim school for members of the local community. The Gym and Fitness area is also accessed by students and is available outside of school hours for use by members of the public.
Other facilities include our Drama Theatre which is used for smaller productions, while major music and drama productions are be held in the Logue Hall. The beautifully restored Edmund Rice Chapel is used on a regular basis for classroom Masses and for quiet reflection by both staff and students. Our Student Services area provides a warm, comfortable place for students and parents to meet with our pastoral care staff. The Careers Room may be accessed by students during class time, recess, lunch and after school when the Careers Counsellor is in attendance. Our Careers Counsellor is able to assist students to research career opportunities and tertiary courses.
The College Board is currently undertaking work on a College Facilities Master Plan which involves considerable modernisation of the existing site and the addition of facilities to further enhance the learning experiences of all students. The Board has engaged the services of SJB Architects to collaborativley work with all members of the CBC community in the development of the plan. Consultations have already taken place with the College Leadership Team and Staff, the Parent's and Friend's Association and some students. As a result of these discussions modifications are being made to the plan and a second wider range of consultations will then take place, including with the broader parent and student body. If all goes well it is intended that Stage 1 of the Master Plan will be implemented in 2012.
Sporting Facilities
Indoor heated swimming pool
Weights room and gym facilities
Two Basketball courts
Two Cricket nets
Hall
The use of Alma Park: one grassed oval and two hectares of parklands
Markillie Library
Named after Mr Ray Markillie, a benefactor of the College, whose donations were used to establish the original Library. In 1978, the library was enlarged and re-designed. In 1999, the Library underwent a major refurbishment which has seen it transformed into a new multi-media resource centre.
Opening Hours
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Lunchtime:1:10pm - 1:40 pm
Closed at Recess
Closed during School Holidays
Borrowing Items
All students from Yr 7 - 12 may borrow a maximum number of 6 items at one time. Books are to be stamped for a three week loan period and must be returned on time or be restamped.
Overnight Loans
Magazines and selected reserve material must be collected at 3:15pm and returned by 8:30am the next day.
Library Services
Photocopy cards are to be obtained from the Front Office. Photocopying - Black and White A4 10 cents Black and White A3 20 cents. A wide variety of resources - fiction and non fiction, including talking books Computer access to Network.
Library Passes
Research - students should be prepared with sound knowledge of the topic and suitable materials to record work undertaken.
Tuckshop
If students do not wish to bring their lunch every day, then they may buy it at the school tuckshop during recess and lunchtime. Students are asked to be polite, say PLEASE and THANK YOU, every time they use the tuckshop.
Tuition per year $15,900
Application fee $500
VCAA VCE Assessment Fee (Year 11) $180
VCAA VCE Assessment Fee (Year 12) $350
Homestay Placement Fee $270
Homestay Fees per week $255
Airport Transfer $120
