St Monica's College
| St Monica's College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
Junior Campus (Yrs 7-9) Dalton Rd, Epping. Senior Campus (Yrs 10-12) Davisson St, Epping. Melbourne, Victoria Australia | |
| Coordinates | 37°39′4″S 145°1′49″E / 37.65111°S 145.03028°ECoordinates: 37°39′4″S 145°1′49″E / 37.65111°S 145.03028°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Catholic Secondary School |
| Motto | Pray and Persevere |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1964 |
| Principal | Mr. Brian Edward Hanley |
| Grades | Years 7-12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrolment | 1882 (2013) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colour(s) | Blue and Gold |
| School fees | $5570-$6410 (2014) |
| Website |
www |
St Monica’s College is a Catholic co-educational secondary school which was established in 1964. Located across two main campuses, it is situated just north of Melbourne in the suburb of Epping. The College also includes a small country campus in Strath Creek which is used as a retreat and by visiting class groups.
Educational programs within the college are holistic in nature and place the student at the center of the learning process which leads to respect of self, others and the environment. The College values the sacredness and well-being of all its members through prayer and perseverance and strives to nurture positive relationships. Its community of students, staff and parents, bear witness to the truths and values of Jesus Christ.
History
St Monica's College, Epping, originally commenced its operations as an annex to St Peter's Primary School in 1964 under the auspices of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. A growing population in the area made it clear that a fully functioning secondary school would soon be needed and the College at Epping was planned and building commenced in 1966.[1]
The name, St Monica's, was bestowed on the College by Archbishop Simonds in 1966 but it was not until February, 1967 that the completed buildings in Davisson Street were officially blessed and opened by Bishop Moran.[2]
Principals
Between 1965 and 1989 the schools principals were all members of a Catholic order of nuns known as the Sisters of the Good Samaritan or S.G.S. In 1990 a lay principal was appointed for the first time.
| 1965 - 1966 | Sr. Patricia Thame S.G.S | ||
| 1967 - 1970 | Sr. Mary Duffy S.G.S | ||
| 1971 | Sr. Mary Laserian Crowe S.G.S | ||
| 1972 - 1976 | Sr. Helen Lombard S.G.S[3] | ||
| 1976 - 1985 | Sr. Therese Quinn S.G.S | ||
| 1985 - 1989 | Sr. Harriet Gleeson S.G.S | ||
| 1990 - | Mr. Brian E. Hanley |
Facilities
The College utilizes a wide range of modern facilities across two main campuses.
Davisson Street Campus
This is the senior campus and administration center for the College.
Dalton Road Campus
This is the junior campus and it is located a short walking distance away. The campus provides impressive open areas which service the curriculum, sport and performing arts requirements.
Ostia
Ostia is the Colleges country retreat facility located at Strath Creek in country Victoria.
Curriculum
The curriculum is contemporary and comprehensive. Global in perspective, it is structured and delivered to foster an appreciation of lifelong learning amongst the students.[4]
Performing Arts
The study of the arts forms an important part in the curriculum and St Monica's College is heavily involved in the performing arts in particular. The College musical production is a big event in the community and traditionally draws a total audience of up to 2000 people. The cast and crew, which generally consists of more than 200 students, covers all ages from Years 7-12.
To date the productions have included the following;
| 1975 | The King and I | ||
| 1976 | The Sound of Music | ||
| 1977 | Pajama Game | ||
| 1978 | My World, My Aunt and Me (Original musical, written by Terrence Strokes) | ||
| 1979 | The Hobbit – A Musical | ||
| 1980 | Oklahoma | ||
| 1981 | My Fair Lady | ||
| 1982 | Kismet | ||
| 1983 | Annie Get Your Gun | ||
| 1984 | Snoopy | ||
| 1985 - 2004 | - | Theatre plays performed annually | |
| 2005 | The Wiz | ||
| 2006 | Bye Bye Birdie | ||
| 2007 | Annie | ||
| 2008 | Grease | ||
| 2009 | Fame | ||
| 2010 | Crazy for You | ||
| 2011 | Singin' in the Rain | ||
| 2012 | High School Musical | ||
| 2013 | Anything Goes | ||
| 2014 | Golden Jubilee Variety Extravaganza | ||
| 2015 | Beauty and the beast |
Annual themes
The use of a college community wide theme provides a particular focus for students during the year. A different theme has been chosen since 1991 and is both spiritual and inspirational in nature.
| 1991 | - | Pride | |
| 1992 | - | Hope | |
| 1993 | - | Perseverance | |
| 1994 | - | Building the Kingdom | |
| 1995 | - | With a Merciful Heart | |
| 1996 | - | Justice | |
| 1997 | - | One in the Spirit | |
| 1998 | - | Wisdom | |
| 1999 | - | Australia : Land of the Southern Cross | |
| 2001 | - | Celebration | |
| 2001 | - | On Eagle's Wings | |
| 2002 | - | Dreaming | |
| 2003 | - | God's | |
| 2004 | - | Sharing and Shaping Our Story | |
| 2005 | - | Called by Name | |
| 2006 | - | Courage | |
| 2007 | - | Oil and Wine : Healing and Caring | |
| 2008 | - | Peace and Harmony | |
| 2009 | - | Fully Alive | |
| 2010 | - | Something Beautiful for God | |
| 2011 | - | Listen for Gods Heartbeat | |
| 2012 | - | Building Bridges Together | |
| 2013 | - | Flames of Love | |
| 2014 | - | Thanks be to God | |
| 2015 | - | Charity |
Sport
Sport and physical education is a core feature of student life. St. Monica's College students are given the opportunity to participate in a variety of inter-school competitions such as those conducted by the Sports Association of Catholic Co-Educational Secondary Schools (SACSS). The sports offered include; Australian rules football, Volleyball, athletics, swimming, cross country running, Basketball, tennis, golf and Futsal.[5]
Languages Other Than English
There are five languages, other than English, taught at St. Monica's.
As of 2012, the college introduced a bi-lingual immersion program, in which students would learn all subjects in a certain language. In 2012 only one language was used - Japanese. In 2013 an Italian immersion program was introduced.
Extra-curricular activities
St Monica's College offers a broad range of extra-curricular activities. Aside from active involvement in premier league sport, the school has been recognised for its participation in Inter-school debating (Debaters Association of Victoria) and in regional and State public speaking competitions, Chess, and many more.
The school offers environmental programs (Envirofriends), accelerated classes (for specific subjects), various leadership positions, and a large selection of subjects to be studied in each year level which are additional to the compulsory subjects and those relevant to the curriculum. One example of this is the Good Samaritan Inn program which hopes to foster positive relationships between all members of society.[6]
Alumni
The College has an active Alumni Association with regular re-unions and its own newsletter.
References
- ↑ St. Peter's School History. (webpage) Retrieved on 4 December, 2014 from http://www.stprepp.catholic.edu.au/our-school/21/p/history/
- ↑ A brief history of St Monica's Epping. (webpage) Retrieved on 2 December, 2014 from http://www.stmonicas-epping.com/about/pages/history.aspx
- ↑ Sister Helen Lombard, 1936-2000. (webpage) Retrieved on 2 December, 2014 from http://www.goodsams.org.au/sisters-who-have-died/sister-helen-lombard-1936-2000/
- ↑ St. Monica's College, Epping 2013 Annual Report. Retrieved on 2 December, 2014 from http://www.stmonicas-epping.com/about/Documents/St%20Monica's%20College%20Annual%20Report%202013.pdf
- ↑ SACSS. (webpage) Retrieved on 4 December, 2014 from http://home.alphalink.com.au/~saccss/
- ↑ School based programs vital in reducing violence. (Published in 'The Good Oil'. April 17, 2012) Retrieved on 2 December 2014 from http://www.goodsams.org.au/good-oil/school-based-programs-vital-in-reducing-violence/