Lowanna Secondary College

Lowanna College is located in Newborough, Victoria. The College draws its enrolment from Moe/Newborough, and district towns of Yallourn North, Erica, Rawson, Willow Grove and the surrounding rural areas. In 2015 the school has a student population of 1024.^[1]

Achievements

In 2006 Lowanna College was successful in receiving funding under the Department of Educations "Leading Schools Fund" Initiative to develop and implement a curriculum program for Year 7 students based on the concept of "Personalised Learning, using an Enquiry Learning approach", and supported by a new information communications technology rich building facility. The aim was to change teaching practice and improve student outcomes throughout the College.

The initial funding gave Lowanna College an opportunity to select and professionally develop a teaching team that would lead the Year 7 program in 2008, after trialling curriculum innovations in 2007 and developing a new student welfare and management approach for the college. The second stage of funding is helping the school to set in place a second team of teachers, provide ICT facilities such as banks of laptop computers, and electronic SMART Boards, and commence the new building facility while upgrading our existing facilities.

The "Year 7 Learning Centre" was completed in late 2007. This centre will be the home for future year 7’s where they will have the opportunity to use the latest resources available to them all in the one area while still accessing the specialised facilities and programs of the college. The new centre will have audio and visual presentation areas, desktop and laptop computers, and facilities such as wet areas, kitchen facilities, conference areas etc. The Year 8’s will be accommodated in an adjacent building creating a new Junior School Complex.

The new Learning Centre provides for an open plan learning environment where students will work under the direction of the Teaching Team and other support staff. Students will be grouped within their home group classes but will have the opportunity of being able to work within the centre using the appropriate learning technologies or being regrouped in different ways (e.g.: extension and support groups) for particular learning situations.

Year 7 students will have their home group space, locker and the principal teaching team located within the facility.

Curriculum

The College offers programs in VELS and VCE, including units in English, Mathematics, Science, SOSE, Technology, Arts, Health and Physical Education.^[2] Additionally, programs including VET, VCAL, the Jobs Pathways Program and Students at Risk are conducted to ensure that all students are catered for.^[3] Lowanna College is also a participant in Monash University, Gippsland campus's Cooperative Education program,^[4] the Monash Gippsland VCE tutoring program,^[5] SAM (Schools Access Monash) program ^[6] and offers the Hands On Learning program.

Extra-curricular

Students are also offered the opportunity to participate in debating competitions, public speaking competitions, art performance and musical productions, international exchanges, community work, debutante balls, instrumental learning programs, sister school visits, Tournament of Minds, lunch time activities program, student leadership programs, school camps and sporting competitions.^[2][7]

Facilities

The modern campus operates as three individual mini schools: Junior, Middle, and Senior. The campus features a school farm, special programs centre, and arts and technology wing, including a photography lab and auto workshop. The school also utilises a computer network and multimedia skills centre. Additionally, the school uses Interactive Whiteboards.^[8]

Despite a commitment in 1998 by the Kennett state government to contribute A$270,000 to build only a 250-seat auditorium,^[9] a 580-seat auditorium now supports the college's performing arts program. A double gymnasium with sprung floor is used for the physical education and sports program. Both the auditorium and gym are also used by the wider community.^[10]

College history

Lowanna College has a history which can be traced back to the 1920s. In 1928 the Yallourn Technical College was established, and over the following years, grew substantially to serve a wide area, including Moe

By the 1950s the growth of Moe, required a new school to be built in the town, and Moe High School was officially opened in 1954. Shortly after, in 1957 Yallourn Technical College moved to its current Newborough site. There was still a need for further educational provision and Newborough High School was opened in 1964.

By the 1990s the number of students attending secondary school had dropped substantially and governments were looking for schools to amalgamate. In 1994 the three secondary colleges amalgamated to form Lowanna College.

With a vision for a new single campus, the College successfully lobbied the government and a total of over 13.5 million was used to build the current campus.

Sister Schools

Lowanna College has two overseas sister schools: The first, Taizhou Middle School number 2 is located in Taizhou, China, whilst the second, Instituto Professionale di Stato, Castelfranco is situated near Venice, in Italy.^[11]

References

External links

• Lowanna College website
• Lowanna College on Learning Village