Saint Ignatius College, Geelong

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.

History

Founded in rural Drysdale in 1997, 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

Logo of Catholic Regional College, motto was 'Christ our Light'

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 '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]

Management

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 $3800 at Year 7 to $4400 at Year 12.^[13]

Facilities

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.the EDCC was renovated in 2012-13. This meant new science labs, media, graphics and art rooms were opened. An art gallery features students accomplishments and the library was refurbished and expanded.

Other buildings have since been opened such as the VCE block, year 10 buildings, a new canteen and Gym. As well as Food technology and Technology buildings. In 2014 the building was officially names the MacKillop Centre.

In 2013 Saint Ignatius opened a state of the art year 7 and 8 building. Accommodating up to 400 students, the new building is very energy efficient and stays cool easily in the summer. The building was named The Saint Francis Xavier building but is commonly known as the Xavier Centre.

Despite being located 15 minutes east of Geelong, the college operates a number of bus services enable students from towns such as Bannockburn, Anakie, Lethbridge, Inverleigh, Moriac, Winchelsea, Lara and Torquay to attend the school.

Activities

The college was an active participant in the RACV Energy Breakthrough from at least 1999 onwards.

Uniform

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.

References

External links

• Official site

Jesuit education in Australia
Tertiary education	Newman College
Jesuit schools	Aloysius Ignatius Adelaide Ignatius Riverview Xavier
Partnered schools	Ignatius Geelong John XXIII Loyola Mt Druitt Loyola Watsonia
Catholicism portal Society of Jesus