Christ the King celebrates 60 years
Schools
Catholic education in the Warradale area is flourishing, 60 years after the Good Samaritan Sisters first started a school in Dunrobin Avenue.
Principal Helena Card said Christ the King School had a “wonderful” history and was continuing to grow, offering learning programs to cater for diverse needs as new families embraced the strong sense of community that a small school provides.
“Our Reception class for next year is full, which is always a good indication that we are moving forward,” she said.
The school currently has 161 students and is experiencing steady enrolments after introducing a Year 6 class and mid-year Reception intake in its 60th anniversary year. Classrooms have been refurbished and were completed and blessed in August, followed by a special anniversary Mass in the school hall on September 19.
Prior to 1959, the Brighton Catholic parish community was served by the school of St Teresa’s Brighton to meet the educational needs of their young school-going children.
Due to the growth of the parish and the small size of St Teresa’s, Father William Collins, Brighton parish priest, established another school to meet the changing needs.
In February 1959, Father Collins called on two Good Samaritan Sisters, Sister Agatha Mary Horgan and Sister Chrysanthus Barry to staff a new school with 76 pupils in Grade 1 and 2 – namely, Christ the King School, Ballara Park.
The school quickly grew to cater for children in Years 1-7 with enrolments peaking at 200 in 1972.
In 1978, Christ the King School became a junior school catering for children from Reception through to Year 5 and in 2019 Christ the King moved to a Reception to Year 6 school.
Past and present students and staff joined parishioners and five priests, including Administrator Delegate Fr Philip Marshall, for the anniversary Mass and morning tea. On display were photographs and memorabilia from each decade of the school with contributions sourced from parents, staff and parishioners.
The anniversary celebrations also included an old-fashioned dress up day with games from the ‘olden days’, a birthday cake and face painting. The following day the whole school attended a picnic at Morialta nature park.
Students participate in the 60th anniversary Mass
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