St Monica's College

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.

Facilities

The College utilizes a wide range of modern facilities across two main campuses.

Davisson Street Campus

This is the senior campus and administration centre 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;

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.

• Italian
• Greek
• Spanish
• French
• Japanese

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 use of a college community wide theme provides a particular focus for students during the year. A different theme has been used each year since 1991 and is both spiritual and inspirational in nature. The theme for 2016, Joy to the World, supports the schools Catholic ethos.^[6]

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.^[7]

Alumni

The College has an active Alumni Association with regular re-unions and its own newsletter.

References

External links

• St. Monica's College website
• St. Monica's College Facebook Page
• St. Monica's College Twitter
• St. Monica's College YouTube
• St. Monica's College Google+
• St. Monica's College, Epping alumni page
• St. Peter's Primary School website
• Website of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, Australia