Monday September 16, 2019

New centre inspires learning

Schools

A centre designed to enhance the learning opportunities of all students at St Joseph’s School Hindmarsh was officially opened and blessed last month.

Lindy McNamara

Monday September 16, 2019

Monday September 16, 2019 Comments

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The MacKillop Centre of Learning offers new classrooms, a library and breakout spaces for students and the wider community.

Funded by Federal and State government grants, the centre was officially opened by Senator Alex Antic representing the Prime Minister and the Hon Dennis Hood MLC (representing the SA Government). Administrator delegate Fr Philip Marshall blessed the building in an event on August 20, which was also attended by Sisters of St Joseph.

Principal Maria D’Aloia said the opening of the new building was a “significant milestone”, coming 90 years after the school’s foundation stone was laid.

“Today we acknowledge and give thanks to all those who have helped St Joseph’s Hindmarsh achieve our vision of creating a centre of learning that will inspire our capable and competent students to imagine, discover, create and achieve together,” she said.

“As a school inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia we understand the importance and power of defining spaces as ‘the third educator’.

“The MacKillop Centre of Learning has been designed to enhance the learning opportunities for all students enabling them to develop competencies and capabilities to engage with the curriculum and achieve excellence, leading them to fulfil our mission as a Josephite school of empowering our students to make a difference and be the leaders for the world God desires, just as Mary Mackillop was and continues to inspire us to be.”

Ms D’Aloia paid tribute to the architects from Thomson Rossi “who understood the importance of building contemporary, flexible learning spaces that can be used in a variety of ways to promote collaboration and where students can be engaged in a variety of learning tasks, explorative play, inquiry and STEM activities”.

“We have also been able to connect the original 90-year-old building to a central piazza area allowing access for all students and to encourage a variety of pedagogical practices facilitating the development of skills and competencies required for success today and into the future,” she added.

The new centre was constructed by local building company Partek.