CBC Push-Up Challenge

Beginning on Wednesday, 4 June, CBC students participated and are participating in the 2025 Push-Up Challenge to raise mental health awareness and reduce the stigma around mental illness. 

• As part of the Push-Up Challenge, each Pastoral Care class will be completing 3,214 push-ups over 23 days in memory of the 3,214 lives lost to suicide in 2023.
• Each day’s push-up target corresponds to a Mental Health Fact, where over the 23 days, students will learn how to optimise their own mental wellbeing and develop strategies to support others in need or who may be struggling.
• Each morning, each PC class will read out the daily push-up target and corresponding health fact.
• It is anticipated that students will enjoy a sense of team spirit while working together towards one shared goal.
• The challenge is also a great way to open conversations among peers and between students and teachers, sparking chats about mental health and helping to reduce the stigma.
• Research shows that connection can be a significant preventative factor for depression and is important in reducing depressive symptoms.

Students are also informed about other useful external services that provide mental health support, which include:

• Headspace - National Youth Mental Health Foundation - provides mental health services to young people 12 to 25 online, by phone and through Headspace centres across Australia.
• Lifeline - Provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services for all Australians. Offering connection, compassion and hope, their vision is for Australia to be free of suicide. Call 13 11 14.

Year 7 Mother and Son Evening – Our Journey Together

On Thursday evening, the Year 7 cohort and their mothers were invited to share an evening together reflecting on connections and the transition from Primary into High school. Through this special evening, families were given the opportunity to share important moments together in a school community setting. This session provided opportunities for carefully guided interactions with other mothers and their sons. Mothers and mentors emerged from the night reassured and impressed by the way our students are able to speak up and share insights about their lives.

Some comments afterwards by mothers or students included:

Students

It was a great bonding experience, and I loved talking about everything with my mum… Helped me learn a lot more about a parent’s perspective.

Everyone was honest, and the parents had a chance to talk about their kid, and the kids had a chance to talk about their parents without the pressure of them around.

It was nice to connect with my mum by sharing memories. It was nice to hear the perspectives of both generations.

Mothers/Mentors

This is really helpful to understand our kids. We understand our kids from the other kids’ perspective. It really helped me understand my son and other kids.

The best opportunity I’ve had in a while. It was great. This was a good experience with my child and other parents and children.

It was good to talk and open up in a way we would not normally do. Better than the grunted response to ‘what did you do at school today”. We had a shared connection.

Week 7 PC lesson - What was on in the PC lesson ‘menu’ this week?

During PC lessons, a range of activities took place, reflecting the diversity of the PC curriculum and Houses. Below are a couple of examples of the activities undertaken by different Houses: 

Avila House Celebration

Avila House was bursting with energy and pride during their recent celebration day, which brought students together for a morning of fun, connection, and house spirit. Students kicked off the festivities with a delicious burger breakfast—an early treat that was thoroughly enjoyed by all! The courtyard came alive with laughter and friendly competition as students played handball, pickleball or soccer tennis, all designed to celebrate what it means to be part of Avila House. The morning was a great opportunity for students to unwind, have fun, and strengthen the sense of belonging that defines our community.

Callan v Nagle Inter-House Challenge

‘You can dodge a wrench, but you can’t dodge a ball’

The atmosphere was electric as students from Callan and Nagle House competed for bragging rights in their Inter-House Dodgeball tournament. The tournament drew enthusiastic participation from all year levels, with Middle School and then Senior School teams going head-to-head in a fun and fast-paced competition.

Laughter, teamwork, and plenty of dodging, ducking, and diving were on full display as each match brought out the best in our students, whether they were fiercely competing or cheering from the sidelines. The tournament provided a great opportunity for students to connect across year levels, enjoy some active fun, and take a well-deserved break from the classroom.

Congratulations to all participants and especially the winning team, Nagle, who showed outstanding teamwork, strategy, and sportsmanship throughout the competition.

Events like this highlight the vibrant spirit of our school community – and we can’t wait for the next one!

WELLIO

The remaining Houses worked in the classrooms using Wellio.  Wellio is a wellbeing platform designed for schools to deliver engaging, data-driven wellbeing lessons with customisable programs, progress tracking, and evidence-based strategies to support students in emotional regulation, healthy relationships, and building resilience. Currently, students are discussing harmful stereotypes and pornography, exacerbated by social media. This will serve as a lead into Week 8, which is White Ribbon week and Daniel Principe Year level workshops. Daniel Principe is a passionate youth advocate and educator. He champions boys across Australia who want to challenge culture and aspire to live courageous, respectful, and empathetic lives. He will be presenting to the year level groups next week to discuss healthy masculinity, consent, respectful relationships and the cultural challenges young people are facing. None of these evolving challenges sways Daniel’s confidence that all young people can flourish if we create spaces for them to be their best selves. Daniel also invites parents to attend a parent information evening on Tuesday, 17 June 25.

Ms Debra Withers
Director of Students

Rite Journey Camp – Ilawonga, June 2025

In Week 6 of Term 2, 95 Year 9 students from Christian Brothers College embarked on a transformative five-day Rite Journey Camp to Camp Illawonga and Roonka Adventure Park. The camp, held from 2nd to 6th June 2025, formed a key experiential component of the College’s Rite Journey Program. It offered students a series of physically challenging, emotionally reflective, and community-focused activities to support their personal growth. Students were divided into four groups, each rotating through various outdoor activities including kayaking from Blanchetown to Castles Landing, cave tours, mountain biking, zodiac boat experiences, bush craft, and the Roonka Challenge. Each day concluded with evening reflection time around a campfire, allowing boys to pause, debrief, and connect with their experiences and peers. One of the defining moments of the camp was the solo experience, where students were guided to prepare shelters and spend time on their own, encouraging introspection, resilience, and independence. The camp also included moments for community-building through Trangia-cooked meals and time to unwind in the beautiful riverside settings. Students and staff were supported by the expert team at Beyond the Classroom, who ensured safety, challenge, and connection throughout the journey. The final morning involved a camp-wide debrief, sharing of insights, and a communal BBQ lunch before returning to school. The Illawonga Rite Journey Camp was a rich and formative experience, laying essential foundations for the students’ growth into young men of character, compassion, and courage.

 

About the Rite Journey Program

The Rite Journey is a unique, year-long educational program designed to support young adolescents’ social, emotional, and spiritual development, particularly as they transition from childhood into adulthood. Rooted in principles of rites of passage and aligned with Christian values, the program aims to foster self-awareness, connection, responsibility, and purpose in students. Through experiences like the Illawonga Camp, the program creates intentional space for students to reflect on their identity, explore their values, and begin to make meaning of their place in the world. Incorporating ceremony, challenge, and mentoring offers a modern response to the age-old need for guided transition into adulthood – something often overlooked in contemporary society. At Christian Brothers College, the Rite Journey aligns strongly with the Edmund Rice charism by calling students to live with empathy, justice, and service. The program is vital in shaping learners and young men prepared to live meaningful lives.

Mr Riley Atkinson
Assistant Director of Student – Middle School and Transition