Aquinas College, Melbourne

Aquinas College is a co-educational Roman Catholic secondary school located in the Melbourne suburb of Ringwood, Victoria, Australia. The school was founded in 1961 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers. It became co-educational in 1979.

Grounds, buildings and facilities

The campus of Aquinas College consists of seven building blocks. These are: the Senior Years Building, the Year Nine building (the original school building), the Dominic Arts & Media Centre (including the Aquinas Resource Centre), the Staff and Technology Centre, the Gymnasium and Mahon Theatre, the Middle Years Learning Centre and the MacKillop Chapel.^[1]

The Senior Years Building consists of two floors. The ground level contains the Year 12 Wing, Social Space & Study Facilities. It also houses the science labs, classrooms and computer facilities. The south wing of the first floor generally functions as senior LOTE rooms as well as all Year 10 and 11 classes. The north wing of the second floor is devoted to the new VCE and VET kitchen and a hospitality training centre. The third floor which was completed and opened in June 2011 houses a North and South wing. The South wing is an outdoor pavilion overlooking the lower ovals. It contains seating for up to 300 for EISM competitions. The North wing contains three purpose built study centres, one each for Year 11 and 12 students as well as an environmental science space which can be used as a fully functioning greenhouse.

The Middle Years Learning Centre was opened in 2014. The building consists of two floors. Each floor contains three wings, for students in each of the three houses. Within each wing there is 3 classrooms and a break out space. The building serves Year 7 and 8 students and includes 18 classrooms, a 150-seat Lecture Theatre, a multipurpose heated staircase capable for team assemblies and several outdoor learning areas (including two upstairs balconies).

The staff and Technology Centre, also known as the "G Block", was completed in 1999. It houses a Staff Study Centre for over 200 staff as well as a staff dining room in the northern wing. The southern wing is housed to the technology department. It features a fully operational Design & Technology workshop on the ground level and a Systems Technology & Hydraulics room on the second level.

In addition, the school's grounds include tennis courts, three ovals for cricket and various codes of football and basketball courts for sporting purposes.

The college also has a city campus located in East Melbourne. The campus is based at the Catholic Theological College on Victoria Parade. All Year 9s participate in the city program and are based at this campus also. The building is based over three levels and includes a reception, gardens, and specifically built rooms and lecture halls.

Houses

The students of Aquinas College are divided into three houses, each with their own patron. There is the Rice house, whose patron is the Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice. Their house colour is red. The Dominic house's patron is St Dominic and their house colour is green. The final house is the yellow house, MacKillop, whose patron is St Mary MacKillop. A student's house is recognised by a coloured stripe on their sports shirt which corresponds to their respective house colour.

Facilities

Facilities at Aquinas College include:^[1]

• Science and Computer laboratories
• Aquinas Resource Centre
• Mary MacKillop Chapel
• Photography and ceramic facilities
• Technology Centre
• Gymnasium with two full-sized basketball courts and a weights and lifestyle room
• Industry standard hospitality / Food Technology Centre
• Dance studio, music facilities and the Mahon Theatre
• Electronic whiteboards
• Staff centre

Alumni

• Nick Malceski - Australian rules footballer presently playing for the Sydney Swans
• Maritza Wales - convicted of being an accomplice in the Society Murders
• Davey Lane - from Australian bands You Am I and The Pictures
• Marita Hird - Australian paralympian
• Liam Shiels - Australian rules football premiership player presently playing for the Hawthorn Hawks
• Peter Leahy - Chief of Army, 2002 - 2008
• Alan Dupont - Chair of International Security and Director of the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney
• Havana Brown (musician) - DJ, singer and dancer

See also

• List of schools in Victoria
• List of high schools in Victoria
• Victorian Certificate of Education

References