Loyola College, Melbourne

Loyola College
Location
Watsonia, Victoria, Australia
Information
Type Independent, Co-Educational, Day school
Motto Justice Mercy Faith
Denomination Roman Catholic
Established 1980
Enrolment 1,015(7-12)
Colour(s) Blue, White and Maroon             
Slogan A Catholic Independent School in the Ignatian Tradition
Website

Loyola College is a Catholic Independent Secondary School in the Ignatian Tradition. Located on 26 acres (110,000 m2) in northern Watsonia, a suburb of the Australian city of Melbourne, Loyola was founded in 1980 with an initial enrolment of just 134. Today, Loyola College has a steady student population of approximately 1000 pupils in years 7 through 12. The College theme for 2009 is, "To Give And Not To Count The Cost" along with the official motto being "Justice, Mercy and Faith".

Contents

Structure

Loyola's five founding parishes are: St Damien's, Bundoora; Sacred Heart, Diamond Creek; St Mary, Greensborough; Our Lady of the Way, Kingsbury and St Martin of Tours, Macleod. Loyola has since welcomed St Francis of Assisi, Mill Park and St Thomas, North Greensborough and associated with Our Lady Help of Christians, Eltham and St Francis Xavier, Montmorency. Each staff member and student belongs to one of the 6 houses;

Curriculum

The school offers a range of subjects including Arts, Design and Technology, English, Humanities, Language, Mathematics, Music, Physical and Outdoor Education and Science. Loyola College also offers extra curricular activities including Clubs and Societies, Performing Arts, Public Speaking and Debating, Service and Spirituality, and Sport. Major events during the school year include St Ignatius Day, the Musical Production and Dramatic Production, Globe Shakespeare, House Drama, House Music, Athletics Carnival and Swimming Carnival.

Past principals

John Kennedy was the Founding Principal since September, 1979. Previous appointments: Deputy Principal, Saint Columba's College (Essendon); Curriculum Co-ordinator, St Ignatius' College, Riverview; and Assistant Housemaster, Sydney Church of England Grammar School. He has also been Dean of Studies at St. Mary's College (Melbourne University) and holds a commission (Flight Lieutenant) in the RAAF Reserve and previously with 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron.

Mr. Kennedy is active in educational circles, as twice elected President of the Principals' Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools and committee member of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, Grants Allocation Committee (Secondary) and Victorian Catholic Schools Association. Currently he represents Victoria on the executive of the Association of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools of Australia.

In 2000 he accepted an invitation to membership of The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).

Mr Joseph Favrin has been the principal since 2008.

Facilities

The past 5 years have seen major transformations at Loyola College including the purchase of the adjacent Jesuit Building for $3.5 million in 2002 (once referred to as "Ye Old Loyola") and the construction of a new library and hospitality wing. Extensive refurbishment to the Jesuit building has seen the school’s administrative centre also relocated here along with the drama and music centre. Sporting facilities at Loyola include a soccer oval and football oval, tennis courts, basketball courts, newly constructed cricket nets and gymnasium. Each subject category at Loyola has its own building or area with appropriate facilities including the $2.5 million Technology and Visual Arts building, Science department, music/drama department and hospitality wing. The Science building was recently updated to include 6 new lab rooms and a new gym is currently under construction.

Notable alumni

Sources