IMMACULATE Heart College in Lower Chittering has received a government grant to build the first stage of its permanent primary school, with building expected to commence next year.
The school, which is one of just a handful of Catholic schools that operates independently in WA, began classes in 2012 and continues to make strong progress.
School principal Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis told The Record the school has 55 students from kindergarten to Year 4 in 2013, more than double the number of students in 2012.
While classes are held in demountable buildings and a transformed assembly hall, Dr Evangelinou-Yiannakis said she’s been pleased with the current facilities.
“We’re very comfortably set out,” she said. “We’ve got demountable buildings with all the necessary fittings in them, so when you walk in you don’t even know you’re in a demountable building.”
Although eventually the school plans to teach from kindergarten to Year 12, it may be several years before this is possible.
“We want to consolidate ourselves as a primary school for a few years,” Dr Evangelinou-Yiannakis said.
“Having said that, our parents at the moment are very keen for us to go straight into a secondary school, but that’s not something we can promise straight away.”
Dr Evangelinou-Yiannakis said being a school that operates independently had its advantages.
“You can tailor your educative program to suit the families that you have within your school community and you can attribute at least 20 per cent of the timetable on a specific focus area,” she said.
One of the features of the school is daily religious education classes taught by the Sisters of the Missionary Congregation of Mary.
“At this school… we put in a fair amount of time into the shaping of the moral character of the child,” Dr Evangelinou-Yiannakis said.
“The staff also attend Mass every morning and have Catechesis once a week.”
Dr Evangelinou-Yiannakis said being the foundation principal of Immaculate Heart College, which is about an hour north east of Perth, was an “honour, privilege and thrill”.
“In 2011, there was nothing on this land, and then to see a school mushroom up and operate daily in a smooth way… to see it all come together and know that I’ve had a part to play in that is really rewarding,” she said.
“For me, it’s been an amazing experience, a really rewarding experience thus far.”