History:
Catholic Education, in the parish of Ashby, or Geelong West as it is now called, dates back to 1849, when a Mrs Kelly conducted a Catholic school in a small building in O’Connell Street. This school remained open for only a very short time. In 1854, another school was opened on the corner of Cavendish Street and Malone Street, where the presbytery now stands. This was Saints Peter and Paul’s Ashby. In 1857, ‘Kildare’ was opened on a section of what is now West Oval. These two schools were conducted by lay teachers until 1875, when the Sisters of Mercy from Newtown took charge. It was decided to combine these two schools, so in 1911 the present St Patrick’s was opened.
Description:
St. Patrick’s school is in the parish school of Ss Peter and Paul’s, Ashby. It is situated in the western area of the City of Greater Geelong, and in 2001 has an enrolment of 183 students, comprising 125 families. The students and their families are drawn from diverse multi-cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
The school environment supports and encourages each individual child while providing challenges and opportunities for all within a framework of quality education. The school endeavours to provide an environment which promotes risk taking, offers choices and allows for individual development and achievement. St Patrick’s aims to develop the whole child – intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
As a worshipping parish community which celebrates, nurtures and passes on the Catholic tradition, we come together to pray and to celebrate.
Features:
To meet the needs of the children within our community, we organise children into learning groups and classes within a multi-ability approach. We organise the content of teaching into a sequenced curriculum, with appropriate methods of teaching this content and skills, and we appropriately assess children’s progress. Our curriculum is drawn from school policies and current curriculum documentation. Features of the P-6 curriculum include: an emphasis on Christian values; a literacy block; a buddy system; student welfare programs and structures; a senior camp; private music lessons; swimming; a Perceptual Motor Program; access to the Life Education Van; P-6 Italian and Bike Education.
St Peter’s has spacious, shaded play areas, a fully computerised library and a Play Group for younger family members. It also has a Parish Education Board and a family fee structure.