Emeritus Archbishop of Perth, Barry Hickey, has officially blessed and opened Mother Teresa Catholic College in Baldivis, following the completion of its award-winning primary school facilities.
Students, staff, parents, carers and friends came together on Wednesday, 2 November, to celebrate the completion of build stages one and two, which comprise all primary school buildings.
The state-of-the-art facilities earned the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2016 Hillson Beasley Award for WA educational architecture and were opened for a tour following the proceedings.
They will be put to good use by the college’s rapidly growing student population, which currently caters to students from Kindergarten to Year 5 and will eventually include all grade levels to Year 12.
Emeritus Archbishop Hickey and Dr McDonald led a number of special guests at the celebration, including Baldivis Parish Priest Father Geoff Aldous, Mother Teresa Catholic College Principal Geri O’Keefe, Chair of the College Board Alison Romagnolo and Aboriginal Elder Marie Taylor.
Also in attendance were Liberal Senator for WA Chris Back, ALP Federal Member for Brand Madeleine King, ALP State Candidate for Baldivis Reece Whitby, City of Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels and City of Rockingham Councillor Matthew Whitfield.
However, it was the Mother Teresa Catholic College students who stole the show with their enthusiastic choral and dance performances, all of which were very well received by attendees.
The official blessing and opening was the main celebration for the college since
September, when a liturgy and fete were held in honour of the canonisation of college namesake, St Teresa of Calcutta.
In the college newsletter last week, Ms O’Keefe thanked the special guests, students and staff who helped to make the latest event such a success.
“(It was) a time to celebrate and to give thanks for who we are and what we’ve achieved together. It was a very special and memorable event in the college’s history,” she said.
Senator Back, who attended the celebration on behalf of Federal Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham, also reflected on the day.
He was particularly pleased with the college’s new facilities, which were funded with the help of $2.6 million from the Turnbull Government’s Capital Grants Program.
“It was great to visit Mother Teresa Catholic College and see the new facilities firsthand and the impact they will have,” Senator Back said.
“Students and the whole school community will benefit from using the new facilities. These new learning spaces take into account the latest in education research and will see students learn more effectively.”
For more information about the Mother Teresa Catholic College, visit www.motherteresa.wa.edu.au.