From the Principal Darren Atkinson, Principal
after the founder of the Christian Brothers, Blessed Edmund Rice. In time, as schooling was established for girls, we felt the influence of leaders inspired by the teachings of St Dominic and St Mary MacKillop, whose charisms fire the spirit of our other two houses. Today we boast a team of highly capable and committed educators at Aquinas who are ably carrying forward this legacy and also embracing the challenges of 21st century education.
Visitors to the Aquinas College Boardroom are drawn
to a series of aerial photographs that adorn the western wall. They tell a compelling story about what is possible for those with a vision. In this case, of course, the vision was secondary education for Catholics in our part of the eastern suburbs - initially for boys and subsequently for girls and boys. The photos depict humble beginnings. An orchard with a creek meandering diagonally across from the northwest is populated by utilitarian buildings that will accommodate the first generation of Aquinas students. The photo from 1961 is, appropriately, in black and white. Each subsequent photograph depicts a growth spurt as the site transforms into the complex web of amazing learning and recreation spaces that our community are privileged to access today. Those responsible for this founding vision had seen models of schooling overseas, still rare in Australia at the time, in which parishes collaborated to create a regional secondary school in the name of the Archdiocese. However, these founding fathers needed experienced school leaders and expert teachers if they were to further the educational opportunities for young people in their parishes. The photos on the eastern wall of the boardroom, the faces of those who have served the College as Principal, tell the story of the solution to this challenge. In 1961, Catholic secondary schools in Victoria were owned and operated by religious teaching orders and a workforce would rely on the commitment of one such confraternity, the Christian Brothers. The legacy of these first teachers is found in our Rice House, named
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“I wonder what those Founding Fathers would say if they were here today?” Aquinas College in 2021 is an impressive Catholic secondary school by any measure. It’s impressive in terms of its size with a student population of over 1700 students and a staff of nearly 250. It is bigger than many country towns. Size brings opportunities to offer a broad suite of learning options and we are proud that there is a pathway to Year 12 for every student and a rich co-curricular program of experiential learning along the journey. Learning should be both joyful and demanding and we admire the perseverance of students who are striving for academic excellence. A growing number are seeking a vocational pathway to the world of work and have courses articulated that provide great outcomes including quality apprenticeships and further training. The breadth of options has seen student retention in the senior years at unprecedented levels and early departures are largely to take up full apprenticeship. These “graduates” are true success stories sometimes missing in the narrative of top ATARs so tantalizing to our mass media. Size also brings challenges in making sure that each individual feels like they have a place and are known... that they belong. Aquinas has a welcoming feel, something that may be intangible, but more than a fanciful figment of our imagination given how often this comment is made by visitors. This could derive from being deeply
