CBC Fremantle

The CBC Journey

How we live the journey…

At CBC Fremantle we embark on a shared journey with the families of the College in the development of their sons from today's boys into the gentlemen of tomorrow. We understand that the quality of relationships is critically important in the lives and education of our boys. For them to fully grow, it is essential that everyone they encounter at school has an interest in their development beyond their capabilities as a student.

'The journey' is carefully planned to foster a sense of belonging and identity in each of our young men.

An education at CBC Fremantle challenges its graduates to be independent thinkers with the courage and persistence to confront injustice in our society. It decries the mediocrity so often prevalent in popular culture and encourages our young men to seek different and better ways to express what they believe. In short, they are encouraged to discover what has worth in this world, to place value upon it and then to strongly represent their beliefs.

Students develop a strong voice through justice and advocacy groups and diverse leadership opportunities. Wellbeing and feedback surveys four times a year mean the young men can express their views with accountable results that provides confidence that they are being heard and understood.

The CBC gentleman…

Our strength and effectiveness as a College depends on the home and school combining to deliver a consistent message to each boy about what it means to develop as a good young man. Our graduates should be distinguished by the following characteristics:

Tomorrow's gentleman forms attitudes and actions based on Gospel values.

We believe that Gospel values are immutable, may be embraced equally by people of all faiths and should underpin the relationships between all members of our community. Critical to the achievement of this vision is a shared understanding and acceptance of the specific values which we uphold, requiring these values to be explicitly expressed, consistently applied and unapologetically promoted.

Tomorrow's gentleman strives to be his best and understands the inherent value of doing so.

The quest for personal excellence is an admirable aspiration which is widely employed as an ideal in many schools.

At CBC Fremantle, we introduce a further refining concept which has far reaching implications and offers greater challenge around this ideal. We adopt the mantra that once a boy offers his best in any field of endeavour, it is always good enough.

This cultural belief necessitates that every activity conducted at the College must be differentiated to such an extent that every student enjoys success if they provide their best effort.

Tomorrow's gentleman is accountable, resilient and prepared to face and overcome challenges.

At CBC Fremantle we ask all parents to love their sons unconditionally and to support the school in keeping them accountable for their actions. We acknowledge that this can be a delicate balance but it is critical to the establishment of the essential coping techniques which are characteristic of the well-formed young adult. It is only through learning that they must accept responsibility for their shortcomings and that being accountable builds resilience, that our young men will be prepared to successfully cope with the more complex challenges of adulthood.

Tomorrow's gentleman is selfless by nature and able to form positive, mutually-beneficial relationships.

Many of the strong influences in the life of an adolescent (media, music, peers) attempt to position the young person as the 'centre of the world'.

In an attempt to promote consumerism and the accompanying materialistic focus, the message is promulgated that the path to happiness lies in prioritising 'self'. The Christian message which forms the foundation of our school's philosophy could not be more diametrically opposed. It presents the truth that the only lasting happiness one will find, and the only enduring sense of purpose one can attain, is derived from what is done for others, and not for oneself.

Tomorrow's gentleman recognises and values the 'other' in his life.

At CBC Fremantle we believe that God often comes to each of us disguised as the stranger in our lives. This 'other' can be the stranger in the sense that they are not personally known to us or they can be the person who offers us the greatest challenge to our beliefs. The stranger is likely to be the individual who challenges our values and forces us to reconsider our actions. Although this 'stranger' can often have an unsettling effect upon us, they also represent significant opportunities for growth. An inclusive community is not characterised by a totally like-minded cohort.

You can read more about the CBC gentleman here.

Steps on the CBC Journey…

  1. Choosing CBC
  2. Opening Mass
  3. Share the Journey
  4. The Rite Journey
  5. Recommitment
  6. The Servant Leader
  7. Graduation