| Saint Ignatius College | |
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Faith Learning Community
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| Location | |
| Drysdale, Victoria, Australia | |
| Information | |
| Type | Coeducational 7 to 12 |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic, Jesuit |
| Established | 2007 (in present form) |
| Enrolment | Approximately 700 |
| Website | http://www.ignatius.vic.edu.au/ |
Saint Ignatius College is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary college located in the town of Drysdale, Victoria, Australia. The college is the only coeducational catholic secondary college in the Geelong region.
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The name 'Saint Ignatius College' (for Ignatius of Loyola) was not applied to the school until 2007, when the college became a Jesuit Partner School and formed a relationship with Xavier College in Melbourne.[1][2] Announced in November 2006,[3] before this time it had been the Drysdale campus of 'Catholic Regional College', which consolidated all operations to the campus in 2005.[4]
Catholic Regional College was formed in 1991 as an amalgamation of female-only Goold College and the male only St. Mary's Technical School, both located in inner city Geelong. In 1992 the College became fully coeducational teaching years 7 to 12, with the junior campus (years 7 - 9) at the St. Mary's site in Yarra Street, and the senior campus (years 10 - 12) at the Goold College site in Fenwick Street.[4]
At the Yarra Street campus a new Home Economics centre, Canteen, and two additional classroom, along with extensions to the Engineering building. At Fenwick Street refurbishment was carried out to older buildings, including the science labs, art rooms, library and administration offices.[5] Due to the Yarra Street campus having a heritage as a technical school, the majority of the 'hands on' woodworking, metalworking and engineering subjects were taught there, with senior students required to walk the three blocks between campuses.
A third campus was opened at Drysdale in 1997, initially catering for years 7 and 8 only. This campus operated separately from the two 'City' campuses, with sports days and whole of school masses being the main links for students at the two campuses.
In 1999 the 'St Thomas' campus at Drysdale had 189 students and offered the Year 10 program to students for the first time. It had five composite Year 7/8 home rooms, two Year 9 home rooms, and one Year 10 homeroom.[6] The same year the city campuses each had around 250 students each. Also in 1999 the school introduced ties and blazers as part of the uniform for incoming students, expanding to all year levels in 2000.
In 2000 science buildings at the Yarra Street campus were refurbished, and a $450,000 Technology Centre was opened. The same year inaugural principal Netty Broekman left the school. The Drysdale campus remained teaching Years 7 to 10, with an enrolment of 280.[5] It was decided to not expand to offer Year 11 at the campus in 2000 due to the limited subject section for the Victorian Certificate of Education, with students transferring to the city campus. This remained an issue for the entire time that the three campuses operated. The curriculum at the junior campus was altered in 2000, with a 'Middle Years' program for Years 7 and 8, and a 'Horizons' program for Year 9 introduced, based on programs started at the Drysdale campus when it opened.[5]
In 2001 $170,000 in Commonwealth Government funding provided for a new computer room on the Yarra Street campus, and on the Drysdale campus the $1.6 million dollar 'Potato Shed' 250 seat auditorium and multi-arts centre was opened, a joint initiative between the college, the City of Greater Geelong, and Bellarine Secondary College.[7]
By 2002 the Drysdale campus had a Year 12 class, but only of 10 students.[8] By 2004 (the last year of separate campuses) it had only increased to 29.[9]
In 2003 a review was carried out school administrators and the Melbourne Catholic Education Office, with the decision made to consolidate the school at the Drysdale campus.[4] The senior campus at Fenwick Street was first to close at the end of 2003, with years 8, 10 and 12 continuing on the junior campus site at Yarra Street in 2004. The Fenwick Street campus was sold to Education Department in 2004 for the expansion of the neighbouring Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College,[10] while part of the Yarra Street campus is used as offices for the parish of St Mary's, with other parts demolished for the expansion of the neighbouring fire station. Proposals were also made in late 2007 for the relocation of St Mary's Primary School to the remainder of the site.[11]
The college is conducted on behalf of the thirteen Roman Catholic parishes of Geelong and Drysdale. It is administered by the body of parish priests (the Canonical Administrators) of Geelong, and is managed by a College Board under the delegation of the Canonical Administrators.[12]
The current principal is Michael Exton, who was the original Drysdale campus director when it was part of Catholic Regional College. School fees range from $2460 at Year 7 to $2860 at Year 12.[13]
When opened in 1997 the main building on the Drysdale campus was a two storey library / classroom / computer room / canteen, known as the "Experiment, Design and Construction Centre" (EDCC) with portable classrooms making up the rest of the school. The current buildings have been erected since this time, with a large building program commenced in the lead up to the consolidation of Catholic Regional College at the site.
Despite being located 20 minutes east of Geelong, the college operates a number of bus services enable students from towns such as Anakie, Lethbridge, Inverleigh, Moriac, Winchelsea, Lara and Torquay to attend the school.
The college was an active participant in the RACV Energy Breakthrough from at least 1999 onwards.
The college has a compulsory school uniform, based around the school colours of dark blue, red and white. Boys wear a white shirt with grey shorts or pants, while girls have a dark blue skirt or dress with red stripes. The school tie has larger red and blue stripes, while jumpers are red, and blazers are blue. The sport uniform again uses the school colours. The current uniform was introduced along with the new name of the school, replacing the two slightly different uniforms worn at the 'Catholic Regional College' City and Drysdale campuses.
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