On September 12, Chisholm Catholic College celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding, combining the event with the blessing and opening of the new eLearning Centre.
The Hon Stephen Smith, outgoing Minister for Defence, gave a heartfelt speech to the school community about the central role his schooling had played in establishing his moral and ethical compass.
Later, Auxiliary Bishop of Perth Donald Sproxton blessed the new centre and the beautiful art-glass crucifixes which hang inside.
Both speakers are old boys of Christian Brothers College, Highgate which amalgamated with St Thomas Aquinas, Bedford to become Chisholm.
The blessing was followed by a reunion for current and former staff to celebrate Chisholm’s 25th year.
While the guests and staff, including Dr Tim McDonald, director of Catholic Education Office, local MLA Lisa Baker and Deputy Mayor Barry McKenna (another old scholar), were impressed by the building and facilities, this was nothing compared to the excitement shown by students the following morning when they were finally able to explore this amazing place.
Both floors of the building were brimming with excited students discovering the array of different spaces in the Centre, which incorporates the school library, flexible learning areas, bright comfortable furnishings and state of the art eLearning facilities.
This scene has been repeated every morning and lunchtime since. School principal Patricia Rodrigues has stated that she is “overjoyed” by the way in which the students have enthusiastically embraced what the building has to offer.
“The centre was designed to be the heart of school life, both as a physical presence and as its pulse,” she said.
“Students have access to all the information they need to support their studies, a beautiful and light-filled space in which to work and a dedicated and progressive eLearning team to guide them.”