St Louis de Montfort

A story of

Community, Culture & Worship

St Louis de Montfort, Aspendale 1965 - 2015

'Our Children, Our Faith, Our Future’

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Editors: Book in a Day Graphic Designer: Book in a Day (Jasna Lloyd) First Edition printed 2015 by FauvDesign Copyright Š RYP International (trading as Book in a Day) All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposed of study, research or reviews, as permitted under Australian copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. Every effort has been made to obtain permissions relating to information reproduced in the publication.

The information in this publication is based upon the current state of commercial and industry practice, applicable legislation, general law, and the general circumstances at the time of publication. No person shall rely on any of the contents of this publication and the publisher and author expressly exclude all liability for direct and indirect loss suffered by any person resulting in any way from the use of or reliance on this publication or any part of it.

Any options and advice are offered solely in pursuance of the authors and publishers intention to provide information, and have not been specifically sought.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in- Publication entry Author: Book in a Day Title: A True Story of Parish Community, St Louis de Montfort, Aspendale 1965 - 2015 Edition: 1st Ed. ISBN: 978-0-9875391-6-8 Notes: School 50th Anniversary Celebratory Book Subjects: St Louis de Montfort Community Other Authors/Contributors: Tom Lindeman

Book in a Day Contact Details Phone: +61 03 9592 3032

Printed in Australia by FauvDesign Venue: St Louis de Montfort School

Email: danielles@bookinaday.net

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Students in Playground / 2015

CONTENTS Introduction 06

112 Tribute to Jan Smith & Fr Quigley

The Story of St Louis de Montfort 09

135 Today + Future

Pioneers 1960s + 1970s 11

136 List of Priests & Principals

Tribute to Fr English & Fr Briglia 28

154 Time with Tom Lindeman

Transition 1980s + 1990s 71

160 How we celebrated our 50 years

Growth 2000 - 2014 105

171 Acknowledgements 3

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Foreword

BY OUR PRINCIPAL The story of St Louis de Montfort is one of commitment, passion and growth. Importantly it is also a story of community.

This book is a celebration of our community members including clergy, volunteers, students, staff and parents whose efforts, achievements and faith have made such a significant contribution to our heritage.

Our 50th year milestone provides us with a unique opportunity to reflect on and celebrate our past and prepare us for our next chapter. This book not only provides us with the opportunity to capture the memories, moments and milestones that have made us what we are today, it has also brought the community together to share their stories and contribute to a contemporary history of the Parish and the School.

We have a rich and proud history to celebrate and an exciting future.

This book celebrates what has gone before us and provides the building blocks for our future. I would like to personally thank everyone who has contributed to the development of this book.

Read and enjoy!

Tom Lindeman (Principal) June 2015

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Foreword

BY OUR PRIEST The creation of our contemporary history by the story telling of our community is a unique and innovative way to share our past. It also provides a strong foundation upon which our future generations can build. It is rare that a church and school, such as St Louis, can celebrate such a significant milestone together. It is this oneness and sense of purpose that has allowed us to evolve and thrive as a community.

I am honoured and privileged to be part of St Louis’ Parish and believe this book is a wonderful keepsake, which captures our true community spirit.

Best Wishes, Fr Andrew Jekot (Parish Priest) June 2015

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION Writing a book is never easy, especially one that is aiming to capture the history, essence, personality and memories of both a school and parish community. We decided that the best people to describe our history are those who shaped it.

So, during the months of March and April 2015 we conducted a series of high impact days where the St Louis community (story tellers) were invited to St Louis to share their reflections and insights through stories and images.

The approach used to capture the content for this book was one of story telling.

This was achieved through a range of activities including: -

A Back to School in the 60’s Day with past Legends and Heroes School trip to Sovereign Hill Twilight School Day with Fireworks display Parish Feast Day Mass School Feast Day Mass and Blessing of the Animals

This process provided many opportunities to capture and share stories, whilst also celebrating our 50 years together in a range of inclusive and fun ways.

We would like to acknowledge that many people have contributed to the wonderful St Louis journey over the 50 years, however not everyone was able to share their story. We thank the community as a whole for their achievements, our community is better for their efforts, and they have left a wonderful legacy for our current and future families.

A big thanks goes to Tom Lindeman and his team for their amazing efforts to help pull this book together.

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Front of School / 2015

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

The Story of

ST LOUIS DE MONTFORT The patron of the Parish and its school is St LouisMarie de Montfort of France. St Louis was born on January 31, 1673 in the little town of Montfort-laCanne, which is located in Brittany, France. He died on 28 April 1716 at the age of 43.

to Mary, love of Jesus and thinking of others is an example for us all.

St Louis is also known as the Patron Saint of public speaking, teaching, education, writers and illness.

–– Established the Daughters of Wisdom, a congregation dedicated to the care of needy children and the sick.

Brief Summary –– Ordained a priest in 1700 at Paris.

St Louis was a deeply spiritual man of solitude and prayer, a most humble servant of Jesus. He had a loving devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. In 1888, Louis was beatified, and in 1947, Pope Pius XII declared him a Saint.

–– Founded the Montfort Fathers in 1705 to continue his mission and retreat work and to spread devotion to Mary.

–– Named apostolic missionary for France in 1706 by Pope Clement XI.

St Louis feast day is on April 28th. His devotion

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0 6 1& 9 70 19

S S

School / 1974

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

1960’s & 1970’s

PIONEER YEARS The years 1961 to 1979 are really about the pioneering years, where the St Louis vision was created, the land was purchased, buildings were developed (often via volunteers), fundraising was required for everything and school curricula had to be developed from scratch. Aspendale itself and indeed the current site, was a mixture of swamp, farmland and a small sprinkling of houses. Aspendale Gardens and the Frankston Freeway did not exist. It was a time of pioneering families, staff and parents.

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Opening of St Louis School / June 17, 1965

Opening of St Louis by

FATHER ENGLISH On June 17th, 1965, Father James English, parish priest, and Archbishop Justin Simmonds opened the doors to St Louis de Montfort.

The School was the first Catholic Parish Primary School in Aspendale, with many families moving their children from St Brigid’s Primary School to St Louis Primary School. It was the start of what has been an amazing 50-year journey.

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Opening of St Louis School (Fr James English & Archbishop Justin Simmons) / June 17, 1965 13

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

1963

1965

Martin’s Dance Hall was sold and demolished. Mass was then celebrated in the old Scout Hall in Regent’s Park

St. Louis de Montfort School opened with 85 students in grades Prep, 1, 2 and 3 The Brigidene sisters were in charge of the school from 1965. An extra class was added each year thereafter

1961 Father English purchased the 8.5 acres site in Dolphin Street, Aspendale for £36,000 St. Louis Church and School buildings were commenced

1970

1964

Presbytery at 17 Dolphin Street was purchased on 20th March

St. Louis classrooms were built and Mass was celebrated in several unused classrooms and then in the corridor

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New Church / Assembly Hall built and conversion of Chapel into two classrooms

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

1971 First Parish Priest, Father Gerry Briglia, was appointed

1975

Multi-purpose room built behind Church

Tennis Club formed Extra classrooms, toilets, and canteen area built joining School and Church

1979 Schoolyard filled to form the school oval and play areas

1974

Bike Shed built

Father Anthony Eames appointed Parish Priest

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Did you know?

Enrolments grew to

22 1





The number of buckets used to fit all sports equipment

SOME OLDER STUDENTS HAD TO DO YARD DUTY AS THERE WASN’T ENOUGH TEACHERS

1

1979

0% INTEREST FREE LOANS STARTED THE TENNIS CLUB

1965

 The soil on the oval was sourced from St Kilda junction for

NO COST

 MASS was held in the

CLASSROOM

$$$ The parents organised a lot of fundraising events

  THE SCHOOL LAND WAS A swamp WHEN FATHER ENGLISH BOUGHT IT

PARENTS USED TO BE ROSTERED TO CLEAN THE SCHOOL

FATHER BRIGLIA RAN MEN’S NIGHTS REGULARLY

Our Stories

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School side playground / 1974

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

KEN & JOAN HUGHES Parents

all night. Of course Father English loved his whisky and they’d play cards. That was a stand out memory, Father English was terrific. The only time I saw Father English break down was at my Father’s funeral.

Building the School & Community: Ken: Painting and that sort of thing was all voluntary work, even levelling out the backyard here, bringing dirt in and levelling it out. My uncle used to get a tractor in to do the work.

One Word:

Joan: I used to come into the older girls’ classrooms and teach them make up and skin care and that sort of thing. We were really involved, we used to organize rock dances and fund raise. This School was academic, but it was also very sports loving as well. Bradley, our son, is a pro Golfer now and our daughter loved netball. They had a good background here. It taught them to interact with each other and become good sports people whilst

K: Friendly I remember coming here on Friday nights, we just had sportsman nights amongst the men and it was to raise money. Father Gerrard Briglia, who was an old Parish Priest, had been transferred to Geelong and he’d drive from Geelong to come, they were that popular. We’d be here until 1am and poor old Father Briglia would drive back to Geelong to do his morning masses.

thinking of others in a team.

On Father English: K: Father English used to come down to my Dad’s house with my brother and uncles where we would play Euchre 18

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

LOIS & JOHN HARDHAN Parents

The School Community:

One word:

John: I was involved in with the Working Bees, I can remember painting half the classrooms and all sorts of things like that. We are both also involved in the tennis club.

L: Community J: For me it’s been a close-knit lot of people and everyone is friendly. Lots of people have the same interests especially in the early days when nobody had any money and we used to get together in individuals’ homes. That was our only means of entertainment in those days. The parents would get together and that kept the whole community spirit alive. You socialized with them; you didn’t just drop your kids off at the School and not say hello or anything.

Lois: We were members, I played on Mondays at Ladies and John played on Tuesdays at Mens. We also played pennant when they had pennant teams going.

L: When our girls went to School, it was an extension of the people we wanted them to become. You try to impact certain standards on your children at home and we felt as though that was being upheld when they went to School, so it made our job as a parent easier.

L: The community is very supportive too because when I was pregnant, I had one child at School and one at Kinder, and I couldn’t walk so was put to bed and community members moved in and had a routine, people would bring the kids home and I always knew the kids were safe.

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JOHN, MICHELE & COLIN BURNS Parent & Students

It’s unique I think because it started from nothing. There was no difference between our families because there was no hierarchy within the community.

John Our four children went through this school from 1965.

Father English bought this land and they started to build the school. They extended it into the church in later years.

Fun: I remember funny times, like when we had a horse come inside the School corridor one time and Sister Juliana had to shoo it out. Another time it poked its head through the window.

Community: We did concreting, we did painting. We maintained the tennis courts and ran the Men’s Club for years. St Louis was a very close community, particularly when the Tennis Club started.

Colin I started in Grade 1. I think there were only four boys in Grade 6. The school football team used to go down to about Grade 3 so we could fill the side. We never really won many games. We used to scrounge to get all

Michele I was in the first Grade 3 class. We only had six girls and four boys in my class.

Legacy / Influence in later years: It was a very close-knit

the sports equipment, which dad used to repair for us because dad’s trade was sporting goods manufacturer.

community in those days and everyone worked together which created lasting relationships between the families.

Community: There was no real competition amongst people. Every time you come back here you feel as though you belong.

Community: It was a happy place because everybody knew everybody. It was still small enough to be like that.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

got now. It’s improved a hundredfold since then. The surrounds, the grounds, the carpark, the buildings out the back, the vegetable garden, and the oval.

Colleen We lived in Aspendale for thirty years. We had three boys attend St Louis and have seven grandchildren at the school today. I was pretty involved as Secretary of

Fundraising: One of the things that the Fathers’ Committee ran in conjunction with the school was the fete. The fete was run on a Friday night to the Saturday.

Johnny Illot and Theo Jaspers would sit or sleep in the caravan on the Friday night to ensure that things didn’t get knocked off.

the Mothers’ Club and helped out with the reading and things like that. The teachers were great.

One word: St Louis is VAST because it was so small when I knew it. This is by far the best primary school that I’ve seen.

Community: Community’s the right word. It’s a very family-orientated school and always has been. Parents were very close as we all got on. I don’t see that has changed much. A lot of the same people are still living here. They’ve never moved because they’re probably just very happy here. I’m really impressed with the way the new Parish Priest runs things.

Warm / Welcoming: Everyone is so involved. The kids themselves seem excited. Everyone knows everyone.

You find that more in a small school.

Gerry Back in the seventies, it was very barren. Nowhere near the classrooms or the infrastructure that they’ve

GERRY & COLLEEN SHANNON Parents 21

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

LISA VIRTUE Student

School Grounds:

Significant event:

It was bizarre. There was nothing. It was just horses. I remember we’d always bring in old apples and oranges, and carrots and feed them. We had this horrible old toilet block just out the back. Boys one side, girls the other side.

I remember the year of walking on the moon. They brought the whole school into one room and someone brought in a little black and white TV so that we could watch it.

Netball team: There were only eight girls, so it was a netball team.

I was always Goal Defence because I was the tallest.

Leslie Isaac was always Centre cause she was the shortest. Megan was Wing Attack and Christine Mills was Wing Defence. Fiona Mitchell, she was always Goal Attack and Helen Dalton was in Defence with me because she could just leap like a jaguar.

One word: St Louis is nostalgic, just all the memories.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

LOUISE O’CONNOR (McINERNY) Student

me and the reason I became a Primary Teacher. I probably wanted to emulate the kind of teaching I had experienced.

Friendships: I was in the first Prep Class when the school opened in 1965. We were led into a brand spanking new room. A brand new school. All the right size tables and chairs and everything was just perfect. I remember being seated at a round table with probably about five others at the table. There was a little boy next to me, named Michael Juliff, we’re still friends, we both went into teaching.

Every Friday afternoon from about 3 o’clock we’d pack up our desks and move them across to either side of the classroom because that was where Mass was held every Sunday.

Community:

Events / Activities:

The words that come to mind to describe St Louis’ are Warm, Nurturing, Welcoming, Growing, Strength and Stability. Certainly the strong Christian Catholic feeling was enormous.

Eisteddfods were pretty serious because we needed to stand just right and we needed to have our hands just right and our feet and our voices had to be precise.

School life: The most influential characters were the wonderful teachers, Jane Flannery was a great influence on 23

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Football team / 1972

MARIE & MAURIE PURCELL Parents

Marie

Maurie

Our daughter was in the first Prep class in 1965.

I started off doing concreting around the property on a Saturday morning. Quite a group came on a Saturday right through winter. You would not have foreseen the School developing like it has, never in your wildest dreams.

I worked in the Tuck Shop and I was Treasurer here when we first started off. I wanted to be involved and I wanted to find out how my children were going.

We had a lot to do with Father English, a fantastic fellow.

He was a great person.

Caring / Supportive: The teachers were very caring. I think when you put your children in their hands; you want to know how they’re going. I thought they were wonderful.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

MARIE MILLS Parent

The School Community:

Friendship:

Father English had the foresight to want to buy land here. It was only after the third time of approaching the Cathedral that he got permission to buy the land. So he’s the one that really caused all this to happen.

I’ve still got really good friends here. St Louis is not only a place where people know each other, but they welcome new people in so they feel at home. I think it’s a unique place.

We built the School, the front bit first and then we extended classrooms each year as the children went up a grade from Grade 3.

Soil Story: My husband was actually responsible for getting all this land filled and leveled out without it costing us a penny.

Our first Parish Priest Father Briglia was an instigator in actually bringing the Parish together socially. After Mass on a Sunday morning, he’d say, “It’s a beautiful day, let’s have a BBQ.” He was Italian and he was very social. It knitted us together and from then, spirit and community has kept growing here.

A Prayer Group started here that not only impacted the Parish but also went out to country areas.

Very early in the piece my husband ran a car raffle, and he called it the Water Wangle. It was to raise money so when we did get the ground finished there would be the money to put the piping through to water it.

27

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Colleen Sweeney

A tribute to...

“I remember Father English coming to our house and explaining to my parents that I had to start at the new school, St Louis de Montfort’s. It was really just one long building that had I think three classrooms and then they built the church”

Marie Purcell “We had a lot to do with Father English, a fantastic fellow. He was a great person”

Gwen Dundon Father English bought all the land around here and started to build the school in 1965.

He built one room at a time.”

Trish Amor “When Father English announced that he was going to buy land here to build a school, this area was a swamp. Time has proved that he was a very wise man.”

FATHER JAMES ENGLISH

Merie Jaspers

1913 – 1986

“Father English was a wonderful man, he used to come to our place and always play cards on a Friday night, he started this School.”

Father English arrived in Melbourne on 2nd November 1936. He was appointed first Parish Priest of St Brigid’s, Mordialloc on 4 July 1949. He then purchased the land for St Louis in 1961 and began its amazing journey. He died suddenly at Mordialloc Presbytery on 8 December 1986.

Ken Hughes “Father English used to come down to my Dad’s house with my brother and uncles where we would play Euchre all night - of course Father English loved his whisky and they’d play cards. That was a stand out memory, he was terrific. The only time I saw Father English break down was at my Father’s funeral.”

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Marie Mills “Our first Parish Priest Father Briglia was an instigator

A tribute to...

in bringing the Parish together socially. After Mass on a Sunday morning, he’d say, “It’s a beautiful day, let’s have a BBQ.” He was Italian and was very social. It knitted us together and that spirit and community has kept growing here”

Margaret Stanton “Father Briglia was on television quite a bit, with Mary Hardy. Mary Hardy being in comedy said, “I got this at St Louis Fete today.” It was a toilet brush, and she was waving her toilet brush around”

Graham Hutchinson “Father Briglia was the Parish Priest. He was great because he brought everyone together and he was instrumental in getting the Parish really close, the way it’s always been really”

Nola Petraitis “Father Briglia opened the Fete and he was riding around on a camel. It was fun”

FATHER GERRARD BRIGLIA

Maureen Wraight

1932 – 2000

“Father Briglia formed the Men’s Club and we’d go down and have a card night or something like that and he was famous for his spaghetti and meat sauce”

Father Briglia was the Parish Priest at St Louis from 1970 – 1973. He was a fixture at Carlton FC during the 1960’s and 1970’s, acting in the honorary position as Club Pastor. When he passed away on the 18th of April 2000, the Carlton players wore black armbands in their Round 8 game versus Sydney at Princes Park as a sign of respect.

Ken Hughes “I remember on Friday nights, we had sportsman nights amongst the men and it was to raise money. Father Briglia had been transferred to Geelong and he’d drive from Geelong to come, they were that popular. We’d be here until 1am and poor old Father Briglia would drive back to Geelong to do his morning masses.”

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

MARIE & BARRY GARLICK Parents & Teacher

When I was here they had one Grade 2, one Grade 3. I always enjoyed teaching, the children were lovely.

Barry We’ve lived opposite the school for fifty-two years. I was on the Fathers’ Committee and I’m a Life Member of the Tennis Club. Marie played too.

I think the school is very highly valued, and I think people are very anxious to get their children here because of the high standards.

Soil Story: The School needed soil for the oval.

Somebody knew an engineer who was building the St Kilda Junction. ‘What are you doing with all the soil?’

‘Can’t get rid of it.’ ‘I know a place.’ So they brought in the topsoil and completely filled the whole area then graded it and leveled it. It didn’t cost us a cent.

It is just eye opening to go around and see how the school has grown, the amenities that the children have, and the opportunities; it’s just beyond belief.

Marie When we came here in 1964 this was just a giant paddock with cows in it.

I had trained as a teacher and the School asked me to fill in for them when they were short. I was then here permanently for four years as the Grade 2 teacher.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

MARY SMITH Parent

May Warrener taught every one of my children in Grade 6.

She was such an outgoing and different person, she read to the children and her standards were very high. Jane Flannery was a hurricane. She got us funding when we didn’t even know it was out there. We were always having dinners and lunches and everything else for all these dignitaries she used to have coming through. She went on to have a big role in Catholic Education in Victoria.

Uniform Shop: When I first started doing the Uniform Shop. I started off just doing the jumpers. They then got the dresses. So it rolled on from there. I was doing it out of my linen press at home. Then I came to the School and I had a cupboard.

Then they started bags and hats and things like that.

There just wasn’t the room.

Mothers’ Club: Friends / Support:

I was president of the Mothers’ Club for about 3 years. It was only a Mothers’ Club, no men. Once every so often the men would have a working bee and all the Dads would do the mowing and painting.

I was involved with St Louis between 1971 and 1982. The School has been such a big part of my life. I come back here for any events they have going on. Back in those days, there was a wonderful network of friends. I know people fight to get their children into St Louis because of the reputation it has. It’s just such a wonderful School.

Walking into Mass, it’s like coming home to me. It is just beautiful.

Fetes: We had huge fetes that would raise money for the School as well. The Mothers’ Club did the cake stall, bric a brac and sewed for the stalls; and the men ran the raffles.

31

MARIE MURPHY Parent & Teacher

We moved to Aspendale in 1970 and four of my children started at the School. Two years after that I came to St Louis to teach Prep. 29 years later I left.

School fell down: I was in charge of the School and it fell down. They were in the middle of building, it was a really windy day and they’d put up the trusses but the fellow hadn’t put enough wood along to hold them. The building collapsed like a pack of cards. That was my one and only time in charge!

Community / Friendly: The families were young and they were all struggling so every time the Church had a working bee everybody turned up and helped. It was a lovely spirit in the whole place. Everybody helped everybody else, as a result they got along really well.

Supportive / Caring: St Louis’ has thrown out some challenges but you come to appreciate the goodness of people and the dedication of the teachers. They were looking for solutions to try to help overcome problems or prevent them before they started.

Personal Stories: Cows at School: We had our own cows because Tommy Woodcock, the horse trainer, rented his property over the other side. The problem was between the cows and the kids the wire fences used to come down and the cows would wander in the back and the teachers would say, “go and get your cows” so I’d have to take them home or shove them into the paddock.

The parents want the best for their children so they’re looking for values and attitudes and standards that they value themselves. That’s why they’re willing to support the school.

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PAULINE & GRAHAM HUTCHINSON Parents

It was a very small school originally. Father English bought the land which showed pretty good foresight.

Pauline We had four children. Two of our children came straight here to school. Our younger boy started here and went right through.

VIP: We had a pretty good men’s group even though it wasn’t a large place. Father Briglia was the Parish Priest.

He was great because he brought everyone together and he was instrumental in getting the Parish really close, the way it’s always been really.

Mothers’ Club: I belonged to the Mothers’ Club and did the Tuck Shop when Gwen Dundon used to take it. It was only a little Tuck Shop and they were very happy times.

It was a community and it was lovely.

Fundraising: We had a lot of card nights around at Walsh’s place where we raised money.

Supportive / Caring: If anyone is sick, people come to the fore.

Friendly / Caring: You meet a lot of friends here, it’s been a friendly Parish, it’s like family.

Graham We came from Traralgon in 1972. We’ve had six grandchildren attend St Louis.

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

MARGARET STANTON Parent

Friendly / Community:

Fete:

When my son started School here as a little Preppy he had twelve people in his class. My children were all taught well and it was a disciplined environment.

The fetes were great. I was involved with the Lucky Dips.

I would hold Sugar Days at my home with the sugar given to the ladies to make sweets and lollies and cakes.

It is a lovely School and to see it today, it’s massive compared to what we had. We didn’t have the Church; we watched the Church being built. We only had Mass in the one room, before that we’d have to go to St Brigid’s.

Father Briglia was on television quite a bit, with Mary Hardy. Mary Hardy being in comedy said “I got this at St Louis Fete today.” It was a toilet brush, and she was waving her toilet brush around.

It was a lovely, friendly community. You knew everybody.

Father Andrew is wonderful. He is involved, and you can see the love and friendship he is wanting to bring into the Church with the young ones.

Tuck Shop: I spent about twelve years working in the Tuck Shop at St Louis, which I enjoyed.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

MARGARET MCCORMACK Parent

I first got involved with St Louis in 1965. I was known as the Lolly Lady from 1965 to 1980 because I used to give the kids lollies after Mass and they’d come out to my car.

Some of the parents said to me, I was the only reason they come to Mass.

the Prayer Group here and as a result, it changed my life.

I was so shy before the Prayer Group. I joined Women Aglow from that and I also joined the Chelsea & District Inter Church Council. I’ve been President there for about 20 years.

Friendly:

Father English:

It was a friendly, happy place, everybody knew everybody and we just loved it. The friends you make here you seem to keep.

I was really shy. I’d bought some stuff at a fete stall and bumped into Father English who was the Parish Priest. I don’t know what I was thinking but I leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek and he jumped back and he jokingly said “Control yourself Woman”. I laughed so much, I dropped everything. Just after that he went to Ireland for a holiday and when he came back he said, “You know, they do it over there and I quite got to enjoy it”.

Fundraisers: The word went around that I was a new woman and she was making donuts. I think more than 50 people turned up for the donuts. I had one woman cooking them, one woman rolling them out and it was absolutely fantastic.

People still remember the Donut Day.

It’s a lovely place. I’m very proud of it. It’s a unique, happy school.

St Louis’ shaped my life a lot. I was very involved with 35

MAY & JOHN WARRENER Parents & Teacher

May

John

We came here in 1964. We had four children. We had one in Prep, 2, 4 & 6 at one point and then the older one

VIP: Our first Parish Priest Father Briglia ran working bees regularly. He was an incredible asset. The first Fete

disappeared and went off to Secondary School.

they held here for the School he came to the music of Lawrence of Arabia riding on a camel. It was absolutely fantastic. He ran Mens’ Nights here at the Presbytery and then he started Ladies’ Nights. He was a muso as well.

Teaching: I taught Grade 6. I had my own subjects such as English, Art and Music. The other teacher who shared the class with me did Mathematics and various other topics.

Community: We used to have lots of working bees.

There was incredible involvement and the atmosphere was terrific because we were all involved with building something that didn’t exist before we got here and we weren’t inheriting the work of others. The whole community was fantastic. It was like a country town.

Community: Everybody was working for the same things. We used to have a Babysitting Club and we deliberately constructed it to have half Catholics and half not, so when we’d have our functions they’d look after our kids and vice-versa.

It was something brand new that we were making, not

St Louis, it’s like home.

inheriting and that’s the whole spirit. It is still the same today.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Maureen

Peter

Our first child started at St Louis’ in 1971.

Country town feel: We hadn’t been married for long.

Friendships: We made many friendships over the years and the children still get together with friends.

We got introduced to other people with a similar life style. It formed a fellowship, like a country town.

Fundraiser/Fetes: I used to have sewing bees at home

Fundraisers: “Progressive Dinners” were wonderful money raisers and they were tremendous for making new friendships too. We’d also have a Melbourne Cup Sweep. We’d sell tickets and the first prize might have been $700 or $800.

for the School Fetes on the table tennis table. That was great.

VIP: We loved Sr. Geraldine. We had a few functions and she would dance.

Tennis Club: Interest free loans were provided to start the tennis club. We went knocking on doors and said “are you interested?” Maureen was President of that for the 25th Anniversary.

Father Briglia formed the Men’s Club and we’d go down and we’d have a card night or something like that and he was famous for his spaghetti and meat sauce.

We’ve seen lots of Priests here and Terry Curtin the Lay Preacher, was terrific. Our current Priest Father Andrew is just wonderful. We’re very privileged to have him.

MAUREEN & PETER WRAIGHT Parents

37

38

39

Starting School / 1975

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

NOL A PETRAITIS Parent

Involvement:

VIP:

When my son started school in 1967, I became very involved as one of the organizers. We only had a couple of rooms and paddocks everywhere. My children used to ride their bikes to school. It was fun for them. It was a very small, happy and friendly community. It was just great to be part of it.

Father Briglia opened the Fete and he was riding around on a camel. It was fun.

Friendly: Dozens of people would come to the Prayer meeting and it was really a wonderful time spiritually, friendly and very meaningful.

We had some lovely teachers. The atmosphere here was very warm and friendly. A lovely community.

The School Community: It was an excellent school not only teaching wise, but the feeling of community. It’s a beautiful school now and that’s wonderful. I do feel very patriotic towards St Louis. I see the changes now and think, “Isn’t it amazing.”

Fundraisers: We did a lot of fundraisers for the School and it was fun.

Once a week we’d meet at a different house each week where we would have coffee and biscuits and you’d pay 20 cents. Those 20 cents sure added up. I used to work at the Tuck Shop too. We used to have sports nights in our carport for the men, sometimes with darts, quoits and a spinning wheel. We’d go out for lunch sometimes too.

40

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

TRISH & COLIN AMOR Parents

Trish

Colin

VIP: When Father English announced that he was going to buy land here to build a school, this area was a swamp. Time has proved that he was a very wise man.

We’ve got three grandchildren here at the moment, but we’ve had seven grandchildren go through this school.

Tennis Club: The Tennis Club started in about 1976 and I joined in 1980. I did actually die on this tennis court, I had a heart attack in 2003.

Community: We were a small community but everybody pulled together. There was the School, the Parish, and the Tennis Club. They were one. It was warm and inclusive.

Community: It is outstanding the way that the community gets involved in the school. Regarding the Fetes, my most important role has been playing Santa Claus. I enjoyed that immensely.

Tennis Club: We’re both Life Members of the Tennis Club.

Friendliness: People here are all so friendly. You come here and you’re welcomed.

41

SR GERALDINE STAPLETON Principal 197 7 to 1980

42

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

would grow. They’ve got 760 kids here now, we had about 330. We had a fantastic Fathers’ Club that was set up around about my era.

Involvement: I was the Principal at St Louis for four years in the beginning of 1977 to 1980. I had fabulous staff. We had tremendous bonding and everybody was ready to do

Personal Story:

that little bit extra. We socialized and communicated really well together.

The Church and the School were separated, and it was decided that two classrooms I think it was and a Tuck Shop was to be built to join the two buildings and during the building process, one day the walls of the building fell down and there was a man seriously injured in that. A couple of years later we decided that with the numbers increasing we would have to build on to the southern end and it was a very blowy day and I can remember looking out and seeing the next building falling down too. So that put a bit of a dampener on everything, but we continued on and eventually got our classrooms.

Caring: If there were difficulties with any of the families or children, people knew about them. We were very caring and I think that was the biggest impact on the School.

Musical: We had a really good musical program. The first musical we put on was called “Sam” and I think May Warrener was the force behind it.

Legacy: I would have liked to have left the School knowing that the things that we commenced would continue and 43

THE LEV VEY FAMILY Students & Parent

Denise

Cathryn

Father English bought all this land and it was swamp land. There was a creek running at the back but, these roads were not made.

Personal Story: I was in quite a few productions. For one of them, I was the ugly duckling in ‘The Ugly Duckling,’ story and I got to become a swan. I got to stand on stage saying, “I’m a swan, I’m a swan.” And one boy fell off the stage. He was dressed up as a penguin. But I didn’t get the role of Sleeping Beauty because I couldn’t cry.

Fundraising: I was involved in the initial fundraising. We used to come in and some of us did the cleaning in the school holidays.

Community: It was a very tightly-knit community. We were very helpful to each other.

Warm: We had a small classroom and we felt nurtured.

Megan

Mark

The year the school started there were about thirty-five or thirty-six children - the school was very small.

Starting at St Louis I was in Grade 3. We were the big fish in the small pond because there was nobody above us.

Funny things used to happen like the cows would poke

We used to wear shorts all year and it was pretty cool in winter but not too bad in summer.

their head through the classroom windows. The school playground was segregated, the boys on one side, the girls on the other.

One year we won the Eistedford and I remember the cheering and how we were all over the moon about that.

It was singing or poetry and we had a nun, Sister Juliana, who was keen on it. She loved it.

Teachers: You’d have the same teachers for two years in a row because it was always composite classes.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Tom

Maree

We first shifted into the Parish in 1970. We had two

Fundraising: We did lots of fundraising, socializing and

sons who came to the school as soon as we arrived in Aspendale and then later our third son also attended St

fetes every year which Tom was very involved in, he was known as “the money man.”

Louis.

Country: This place was a bit like a country community because it was so small.

VIP: Father English had the foresight to purchase the land and the property that is here now.

Friendliness: Friendliness characterized the community.

Everyone worked together. It still is very friendly and it’s a great community.

Community: It was a very young, vibrant community in the School and also in the Parish. It was a great environment in which to live and for our children growing up.

I think schools don’t develop if they’re no good. We owe a lot to all the Principals and all the staff and all the Parish Priests and all the people who have been involved in any way in the School and the Parish.

Friendliness: We used to have Progressive Dinners where you go to one person’s house and have one course and so on. This created such a friendly environment.

MAREE & TOM VELTEN Parents

45

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

MICK CALL AGHAN Parent & Grounds Keeper

I’ve got a perpetual scholarship named after me for a graduating Grade 6 student to go towards their secondary education.

Involvement: I have been associated with St Louis’ for 37 years. I had three children attend the School. I spent four years on the Parish Board in the late 1970’s. The school population was getting bigger. We had kids coming from out of the area because the school had a good reputation, and so we had to plan for extra classrooms for the future.

Changes / Growth: We have new buildings, the multi-purpose room, offices for the school leaders and office staff, the hall and a better playing area. The number of staff and the number of options that the kids can learn have grown and now they’re moving into environmental areas like the gardens, sustainability and recycling.

They didn’t have an oval out the back, that was a tip that became an oval when the Melbourne Water, or Melbourne Metropolitan Water Works had to get rid of their excess dirt. They leveled out all the rubbish and then put the good dirt on top and seeded an oval for us.

So they got rid of their dirt and we got an oval.

The School Community: St Louis is the centre of Aspendale as far as I’m concerned. The school is progressing all the time, due to the current Principal, who is on top of everything.

Fundraising: I’ve been in the Men’s Club 37 years, mainly fundraising and helping out in working bees, or helping the Mother’s Club when needed.

It’s just a wonderful place. A wonderful place to be associated with.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

GILLIAN DALTON Parent

had a Priest for Mass on a Sunday and he was wonderful too.

Involvement: When the School opened in 1965, my third child started here in Prep, and the others were a bit higher up.

Friendships: We’ve stayed together for so long and it doesn’t matter where you are, you’re part of it. Loving is one word to describe the St Louis community. You would feel welcome in any group.

The School Community: I would say this is probably the best school in Australia.

It started with enormous grounds with nothing much in it, and today it is absolutely fantastic. The people here all pull together and are very close, both at school and out of school. Some of the Priests we had were wonderful and encouraged that feeling of unity - we were all a big part in that.

VIP: Father Andrew is wonderful. He’s go go go the whole time with four services on a weekend and all these people. We had our own Priest and at one stage we had a Layman, Terry Curtin, in charge of the Church and just 47

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

PAT DORIAN

JEANETTE YOUL

Parent

Parent

Involvement:

VIP:

I had four children who attended school at St Louis. I ended up Chairman of the Parish Council and was also President of the Men’s Committee at one stage.

We had Sister Cletus for a few years and she was a great teacher. When we gave her a farewell, she got up and said “if there is anyone or any child here that I’ve hurt, I apologise”. I thought that was so beautiful.

Changes / Growth: Father English bought this land which was basically a swamp.

Community: The one word that describes St Louis’ for me is community. We always did everything together, we knew everybody.

VIP: The biggest character in this place is probably Mick Callaghan who is still working here and been around forever.

Father Andrew, he’s just wonderful. He’s so good with those children. I was at Mass one Saturday night and there was a little girl in front of me. Father proceeded in with the Alter Servers and as he came into view she was jumping up and down in excitement saying “It’s Father Andrew, its Father Andrew!” I thought, isn’t that beautiful.

48

49

Communion breakfast / 1970

ANTHONY BARNHOORN Student & Parent

I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to start as a Prep at St Louis in 1965. During the week it was a classroom and then on the weekends it was a church.

I can remember learning how to march with the music playing in the background, swinging our arms up and down and going to competitions to represent the school on a Sunday all dressed in our whites.

from the ground up, and they’re still involved today as members of the parish community and the school community. My wife went to St Louis as well as our three children and we’re still very much a part of it.

Tennis Club:

Personal Story:

I’m a member of the Tennis Club and have been since it started. Now I’m the President. People were asked to

I remember Mum and Dad telling me once that I used to come home having learnt new swear words. My Mum thought I was being kind to my two younger brothers by calling them my “bloody brothers.” She didn’t realize the effect of saying that sort of a word. One of her Australian friends had to say, “No Rita, he’s not really saying my lovely brothers”. That was quite an interesting

lend money to establish the Tennis Club. Because of the significant number of people who committed to joining the Tennis Club they repaid everyone their loans within two years. The Tennis Club has been going now for 40 years.

VIP:

way at looking at things.

Uniqueness: I think the school is unique because of its community spirit. Lots of people have been here from the beginning,

50

Gwen Dundon lived three doors down from me and has been involved with the school for 50 years. She is just an amazing person, always on the go and always prepared to get involved.

BRIAN & MAUREEN GRAY Parents

Maureen

Brian

We’ve been in the area fifty years this year. We had four children and they all went to school at St Louis.

We’ve had four grand kids attend this school and two of them are still here. It’s a great school. It’s got a great reputation. It’s a very friendly school.

Fundraising: We used to help the teachers out because the funding had to be raised to print programs and provide trophies and ribbons for activities like the Athletic Sports.

Home / Country feel: When we came here it was just like a family Parish and a family school. It was small enough that we got to know everybody.

I was on the Mothers’ Committee and Social Committee.

My husband was on the Sports’ Committee, running the school sports.

It was a very small school of about 200 children. It was like a country school.

Father English bought the land quite cheaply because it was a bit of a swamp. it was under water most of the time.

51

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

JOAN POBJOY Parent

Involvement:

Community / Fetes:

We’ve been part of St Louis for 53 years. The School had been going about three years before our children started. I had five children go through St Louis, three boys and two girls.

We all worked so hard on the fetes. People were brought into the community through the Fete. I was also involved in the Tuck Shop. I was active in Parish work, in the big Prayer Group that we had here for many years.

VIP:

Home / Country:

My children say May Warrener in Grade 6 was the best teacher they ever had.

When I walk through the doors I’m home. I just feel so loved here.

Supportive / Caring: This is a loving community. My husband was killed in a train accident seven months ago. I got 183 cards, and food was sent in. This went on for months. I was absolutely overwhelmed with the love.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

CHRISTINE BURKE Parent

I’ve been here since 1963. Mass was held in the first corridor and there used to be a blackboard at the end and they’d have chairs and they would clear it afterwards for school the next day.

Tom is quite dynamic. He must have incredible organizational ability to do what he’s done, it wouldn’t be easy.

Changes / Growth:

They had Mens’ Nights too. They used to play games and they’d raise money for different things, they’d have a $1,000 draw.

Fundraisers:

When Father English bought this land, it was eight and a half acres, a lot of it was swamp and it all had to be filled but they used a lot of the filling from when the sewerage went through.

Because my husband and I were the Accountants we had a lot of dealings with the Principals. Each Principal has left some sort of imprint on the Parish. They were really good.

Because we all grew together, and our kids grew together, it’s really good to be at the inception at a place like this.

Community:

VIP:

One word that describes St Louis for me is community.

Father Andrew is incredible. We were so lucky to get him. He’s into community and involving people.

The first Parish Priest, Father Briglia, was very outgoing and flamboyant. He would cook for the whole place and the place would be packed.

53

IMELDA & MARCELL A MCMAHON Parents & Student

grandchildren come here and to become part of the community which we still are fifty years later. We have very close friends from all those early days.

Imelda I’ve been here for fifty years. I had six children and they all spent their primary schooling at St Louis and I might add, they’ve gone on to really achieve things in life and I’m very proud of them.

Country town feel / Aspendale: You could live in Aspendale without a motorcar because you’ve got the trains, buses; you’ve got the beaches, the shops. We’ve got everything. It has been a wonderful experience.

To this day it is still a very strong community.

On the weekends, we would get wheelbarrows and come across here and get the manure from the cows and put it on our garden. That was all filled land, so we ended up growing our vegetables.

Marcella

Activities / Events: Once a year the School put on a Fancy Dress Ball, so we would spend hours making costumes with next to nothing.

One Word: A word that describes St Louis’ is inspiration.

To be able to send all my children here and then see

Our three children have all been through St Louis. I was the second class to go through the whole schooling. It only went to Grade 2 when I started. The classes were very small, about fifteen children in each class.

54

Parish Gathering / 1971

I remember, if you ever wore your school shoes, they were always wet because you played in mud and you got into trouble if your shoes were wet. Then we had to march in time back into class every day to the drum being played.

there was bedding for my parents, there were casseroles on my kitchen bench and bread rolls. The next day, 54 Parishioners took days off work and went through the burnt house like a team and helped Mum and Dad get on their feet.

I married into the Reiter family (who also are apart of St Louis), meaning that in the 50 years the School and Parish have been around, there were only 2 years (1965 and 2011) where none of the McMahon and Reiter family members were in the School.

Cows from the dairy farm would roam freely here. They used to warn us not to stand behind the horses or they would kick you.

One word: A word that describes St Louis’ is community.

All of your friendship groups came out of this community. That very big Irish/Catholic hospitality was all part of it. Everybody watched out for everybody else.

Community Story: In 1985 the family home burnt. Mum and Dad lost everything. I got back to my house and 55

ELAINE & JOHN RYAN Parents

the hallway. We’d put a desk out one day a month and sell uniforms from that. Now it’s a big business.

Elaine Country Feel: It was like a little country school at that time, the cows would get in from the paddocks out the back. John was in the Men’s Club and they did so much work around the school grounds and made a playing field.

Fundraising Story: While I was President of the Mothers’ Club we decided we’d run an auction to see if we could raise some money to buy a colour television. All the members went around to different businesses and had things donated and we raised enough money to get a colour television - that was the first one that the school had.

VIP: Our children (Glen, Paul and Mark) all say to this day that May Warrener was the best teacher they ever had. Marie Garlick and Marie Murphy were wonderful dedicated teachers. They were all Mums which gave them a real affinity with the children.

John

Personal Story: I approached Father as we didn’t have a Piety Stall. He said “I’ll advance you $100 and if you can find a spot to run the stall from, see how you go and when you’ve had sales of $100, you give me back the

We built an Adventure Playground because it was all built out of treated pine. We had a lot of fun making that.

We had garden projects, social nights and used to play indoor bowls. We really enjoyed ourselves because you got to know some of the people so well.

$100 and carry on from there. Gwen (Dundon) allowed me a spare cupboard in the Tuck Shop for the Piety Stall and I used to open on Sunday and Saturday night and we sold from there. It was a real hit! We also ran the uniform shop which was once just a little cupboard in 56

57

Front playground / 1977

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

GWEN DUNDON Volunteer

We moved to Aspendale in 1956. Father English bought all the land around here and started to build the school in 1965. He built one room at a time.

President of Mothers’ Club: I was President of the Mothers’ Club and not having any children, I could go into town. There was a hall just past the Cathedral in a street there and the Mothers’ Club would have luncheons and you’d catch up with people and find out their views.

Gwen’s Jobs: I helped Mrs Chandler with the altar, starching the white linen – you couldn’t have a wrinkle in them. I think the last mass I attended was at the Girl Guides Hall in Sixth Avenue. That was my first job with St Louis when the first room was built.

Supportive: I was never without helpers in anything really. I’d only have to say I’d want such and such and someone would be there.

I was there one day and Sister Geraldine asked if I would help with the the school fees and writing out the receipts. So I started doing school fees, then I started

Friendly / Caring: This Parish is really a loving Parish, it always has been, with everybody looking after each other. That’s why I’ve stayed so long. To me, everyone who came here was right for the job. I think it’s made me a better person, with the people I’ve mixed with. They’re all different,

helping Francie Carrick with the tuck shop, where I was never without any help. We also had a bank account with the State Bank for the children so I was doing the books for them as well.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

they’ve all got their own stories and hopes. I hope I’m there if someone needs me. I just do what I have to do.

The school is a different shape than what it was then.

Father Gill had big sheets of iron and had them down on the concrete and we built the fire. He built this fire, it was huge, and we were all there praying and all of a sudden the firemen came rushing around the corner of the church. The lady over the back had seen the fire so she rang the Fire Brigade and told them the school was on fire. We had told everyone but the Mentone Fire Brigade.

They all came around with their hoses to put the fire out.

Honestly, that was the highlight of the year.

Community: I’ve never stopped to think. I just know it’s great. If you ask someone to do something, they’ll do it for you.

Fundraisers / Fetes: Our first fete we had out the front. We used to take our sewing machines to each others’ houses and make the aprons and the shorts and sell them at the fete for a couple of bob. People would donate plants. Also we had vegetable gardens in Aspendale so we always had fresh vegetables for anyone who needed them. I took over the

Future: The school’s in good hands now. It was like a country school years ago because Marie Murphy’s horse used to come around and put its head through the window, you had sheep walking around. I think Tom and all the Principals have done a marvelous job.

Devonshire Teas but I’ve never baked a scone in my life.

Easter Fire Story: It was Easter. You know how you have the fire and the blessing of the candles. This time it was held outside.

59

VONNIE WILKINSON (Grandmother) Parent

JOANNE PARLETON (Mother) Student & Parent

K ATRINA TAYLOR (Daughter) Student & Parent

to come in and share a specific talent like calligraphy or chocolate making.

Joanne My 3 children have come right through St Louis, currently I’m part of the Tennis Club and the Church.

I am on the committee of the Tennis Club and run the Monday Night Ladies’ Tennis and organise the Saturday Ladies’ Tennis.

VIP: I can remember a teacher, the greatest teacher I’ve ever had, Mr Brooks. He had the driest sense of humour, and a great work ethic, everyone in the class loved him.

I remember he was trying to convince us that he made $7.50 a week and that was enough to buy ham rolls every week. He is the one person I remember most of all.

School involvement: I used to go in the classroom and help with the reading. I was also part of the Mothers’ Club and we used to have lots of different nights, there was always something happening at the School like fantastic dances and discos.

Vonnie There were no cleaners and parents were asked to come and clean the school.

One Word: Home / Community

You feel as if you’re part of it, I guess it is where our roots are.

Katrina We’ve been here all our lives. Mum (Joanne) used to come in and do bread making and all the mums used

60

LISA TUKE

(Daughter) Student & Parent

MAUREEN & JOHN ILOTT Parents & Grandparents

and break all the ice on the puddles. It was like being in the Country. Building the church was a really strong memory. It was built out of these big Bessa blocks and one of my friends dropped one on her finger and it smashed her whole finger.

School Involvement: Maureen: I cooked for the Fete. I used to help make things for the stalls and also sew the dresses for the fashion parade.

John: I was involved with working bees, School sports, the Fete. We used to have Men’s fundraising nights for the School as well.

Community: M: It’s a very close little community. The mothers and the children were all very close, just like a big family.

My mate (Theo Jaspers) and I used to be night watchman; we used to sleep in a caravan out the front to make sure no vandals pinched anything.

J: We used to have a lot of fundraising things to help the School. We had racing nights at parents’ homes. We all

The School & Church:

hopped in together and we were all good friends.

Lisa: In winter we would just have a muddy area and the puddles would freeze over. We’d come in the morning

L: My kids are very safe because I know someone is always watching their back.

61

MERIE, MICHAEL & ANNIE JASPERS Parent & Students

Father English:

The School:

Merie: Father English was a wonderful man, he used to come to our place and always play cards on a Friday night, he started this School.

Michael: When we were growing up there was a donkey called Toffee that lived next door to the School. The kids always gave Toffee apples and carrots. This donkey got big and the owner came and knocked on the Principal’s door and said, “tell those kids to stop feeding my donkey, it’s putting on too much weight.”

Michael: Father English said ‘let’s find some land’ and he negotiated with a family called the ‘Murphy’s’, who lived in Dolphin Street.

One thing I will say is that it doesn’t matter who you are or what background you had, everyone was equal and helped each other.

School Involvement: Michael: Mum was on Tuck shop duties and part of the Bereavement Group. They were a group that organised the wakes after funerals. Because it was a small Parish, there weren’t that many funerals.

Events: Michael: There were always things on the calendar for the families to be participating in and that’s what it was all about – people participating, helping out, volunteering and doing things.

Merie: My husband did a lot of the concreting.

Michael: Dad was a Stone Mason and Concreter, he did the foundations to help the Parish so what we’re standing on is actually what Dad laid.

Merie: And they still do that now.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Annie Country Town: The Community has a natural border, which helps create a country town feel. Everyone knew everyone. You’ve got the beach, Edithvale Road, Aspendale Gardens and Mordialloc Creek.

Memories: The Easter Picnics are a stand out memory for me. It was always on Easter Sunday Relationships: I just feel my Mum and Dad got so much out of our time at the school. I look back at their friendships and so much was based on their close involvement in the school. Dad helped build half the school.

School church entrance / 197 7

63

Tennis courts / 1977

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

LOUISE BRESLIN (Nee Jaspers) Student

was to apply a Band-Aid for anything minor, and if I suspected something major like a broken arm then I had to come in and knock on the door of the staff room and let either Sister Vincent know or the other teacher.

School: I was in Grade 3 in 1965. I arrived here on the first day it opened. I remember there were twelve of us in Grade 6 who graduated from the school. The school was very small; we had two classrooms and the front section of the building was used as a church initially, until the church was built.

There was a nun, Sister Vincent, and a lay teacher. There wasn’t any play equipment outside but there was a

Friendships: We built up some good friendships, even though there was only a small group of students. Some of us have been lifetime friends, Colleen Sweeney and I both came here in Grade 3.

haystack on the property.

I remember Sister Juliana quite well. She was very keen on us singing in every eisteddfod and everybody was part of the school choir.

One word:

Leaders:

Community:

In our first year of the school it was my job to attend to yard duty, because there were only the two staff members. If anyone fell down or hurt themselves I

In the early days, among the families there was a great sense of community and families were very supportive of each other, it was a nice sense of belonging.

St Louis’ is inspirational. It’s inspired many students to go on and do many wonderful things.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

COLLEEN SWEENEY Student

Move from St Brigid’s:

VIP:

I started at school here in 1965. I remember Father English coming to our house and explaining to my parents that I had to start at the new school, St Louis de Montfort. It was really just one long building that had I think three classrooms and then they built the church.

A student’s father, Verdon Howell, played for St Kilda.

That was just the biggest coup, a St Kilda footballer coming to show the boys how to play football.

Community: A lot of what has become Aspendale seems to have emanated from St Louis.

There was only one teacher, a nun, and there was maybe another lay teacher.

Friendship: I’m still very good friends with Louise Breslin. We started here together, and we are still friends.

Singing: We sang a lot. Sister Juliana, I still remember. I remember the songs like it was yesterday.

65

1966

1968 1969 66

1972

1974

1975 67

1976

1977

68

1978

1979

69

0 8 1& 9 90 19

S S

Parish Gathering / 1981

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

1980’s & 1990’s

TRANSITION YEARS The years 1980 to 1999 was one of greatest transitions for the Community, local area and indeed society. This period saw rapid growth locally with new housing estates including the establishment of Aspendale Gardens and surrounding areas. It was also a transition period for the community, with rapid infrastructure growth and the commencement of the mobile phone and internet era.

As a result the school saw growth in enrolments and staff and a transition to lay Principals.

71

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

1984 Multi-purpose room extension to include Art room.

Double portable purchased and placed in front of school Mrs Jane Flannery appointed as first lay Principal

1989

1980

Bike path completed at side of school

Father John Woodcock appointed Parish Priest

1981 Two more classrooms added plus a portable classroom

1986 Classrooms converted to an office, staffroom and library

72

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

1996

1991

New School Offices and Teacher Resource Room built and Library extended.

Father Peter Waters appointed Parish Administrator Mr Chris Dickinson appointed Principal

Old School Offices converted to Staffroom and double portable classroom purchased

1994 ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ Musical

Pastoral Leader, Terry Curtin, appointed as Parish Leader ‘Lollies’ Musical

1990 Father Pat Purcell appointed Parish Administrator as Fr. Woodcock fell ill

1995 Carpark area completed.

1992 Tennis Club formed Extra classrooms, toilets, and canteen area built joining School and Church

73

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

1998 Official Opening and Blessing of Church and School extensions by Archbishop George Pell.

Double portable classroom / Art Room purchased (Tennis Club paid for half in return for the old Art Room)

1997 Shade cover areas built in playground, and fitness station and play areas placed around the Oval.

Presbytery sold Parish Offices and Church extensions completed

1999 Tennis Club built toilets and change rooms in old Art Room

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

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Church renovation / 1996

Did you know?



 1984

The first Lay Principal was appointed (Jane Flannery)

ASPECT THEATRE GROUP CREATED BY PARENTS

Enrolments grew to

411

 Fundraising varied and many included fish & chip nights, fashion parades, disco’s, skate nights, chocolate drives, fetes, Aspect amateur productions and progressive dinners.

 TERRY CURTIN FIRST LAY PRIEST TO RUN A PARISH IN AUSTRALIA

1992 ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND BUILT





ASPENDALE GARDENS DEVELOPMENT COMMENCES

1999

1980

$6000 The amount of money raised for the school through Aspect launching with Jesus Christ Superstar

 Archbishop complains to Terry Curtin for staging the blasphemous play Jesus Christ Superstar

Our Stories

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Parish gathering / 1981

JANE FL ANNERY

Teacher & Principal 1984 to 1990

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

I suppose one of my most powerful memories is how we worked together with the parents. We were all in this together, the parents really owned the School.

The Beginning: I started education here in 1966. I was a young, enthusiastic graduate, who had stars in my eyes. The School was a small, square, besser brick building that comprised of a very simple, basic church and two classrooms, two staff rooms – one where the nuns would eat, because they were supposed to eat by themselves.

The rules in those days were you didn’t eat with the rest of the community.

This School has always had a strong community influence. The parents were committed to their kids’ education.

As Principal: I was here for 7 years and I loved it. I had that commitment and compassionate approach to a good education for kids. I had some fantastic staff; we had our share of laughter, tears and challenges. In my time as principal, I learnt what makes good leadership in education;

I remember one day, I was very proud of my class and Sister Juliana came in and she said ‘Miss McDonnough, tell me who your best students are’. So I promptly and proudly named one, two, three, four five. She didn’t say another word to me; she said ‘would you all get your books now, you’re going to be in Grade 4’. That’s the way education happened.

–– The children are at the heart of what we do –– Good teaching in the right environment gives children the best opportunity to go out and be learners forever

Catholic education in that time was looking at resources, a lot of religious people were still working and lay people were just coming in. We were engaged in giving the kids the best education we knew how, with commitment, passion, engagement, a real love of kids and community; but we were working under some difficulties. For example; we didn’t have any shelves, so we pooled our meager resources, bought the timber and my colleague, Lorraine Walsh’s, builder boyfriend made some bookshelves.

Lorraine and I used to also pool our money and we’d go to the Frankston bookshop and we’d buy picture storybooks, as there was an attachment to books here, which I loved. So when I went and had my own kids, those books stayed.

–– Nothing ever stays the same so we must manage and change the agenda

One word: Educationally Brave: For any era, even Tom and the amazing things he now does, you can say it is ‘Educationally Brave.’ The School has always brought the behaviour of the Community along with its changes, like technology and innovative ways of doing things.

Educationally brave in the broader spectrum is being inclusive.

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TERRY & LYN CURTIN Lay Priest 1996 to 2000

Principal: I would consult with the Principal every week, because the school and the parish needed to run things together. Chris Dickinson was the Principal at the time.

He was a good man, very dynamic and we worked well together.

Terry Traditionally the parish priest is responsible for the school as well as the parish. But in the period 1996-2000 Archbishop Little tried an experimental arrangement by having a lay priest run the parish because of a shortage of priests. The idea was to have a lay person do all the things a priest did except the sacramental things that a priest would do. So I was appointed to be the Pastoral Leader for a period of four years. It was called the

New Archbishop: Archbishop Little was very supportive, but shortly after I started he retired. The new Archbishop was George Pell. He was not so keen on the idea of having a lay person do the job that a priest ought to do, and he told me that. Never the less he was very supportive, but he did state that we would not continue after my term finished, as he felt it was a disincentive for young men to get ordained if they could see lay people could run a parish.

‘Pastoral Leader Model.’ I was the first married man to run a parish in Australia and I don’t think it has been done since.

We were living in Canberra at the time when I applied for the position. I had studied psychology, counselling and theology and thought it would be a fantastic opportunity and challenge.

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Support: I had a great priest not far from me in Cheltenham, Father Frank Martin. He was a remarkable man and gave me a lot of support. We had a very good partnership.

Terry Curtin & Family / 1996

The first thing I did was get together a small group of key people to see how we would organize the community. The thing I noticed first was that they had already taken responsibility for the change. There was a sense of doing things together. In the end I met with this group every week, they were very supportive. If you give the community responsibility they will run with it

been more welcoming. From the moment we arrived there were casseroles, cakes, dinner and goodness knows what. They were all right into tennis.

I think I did a fair job, and I think as a community we proved here that a married person can do a pretty good pastoral job. I look back on my career and would say that my time at Aspendale was in a way a fulfilment, a peak period of my life. It impacted on me in a way that I never expected.

I connected very much socially with the Community.

Terry was very much the Administrator. There was something on all the time. We were all involved in the Aspect Theatre Group in some way. Our first production was Jesus Christ Superstar.

People & Community: You couldn’t have asked to have been in a better place than Aspendale. I have never met people like it. I would describe the community as welcoming, warm, humble, lovely people.

Today the community hasn’t changed. It has grown enormously. Coming here today to see how it has flourished really has a “wow” factor.

Lyn Welcoming: It was a very different lifestyle living down here to Canberra, but we found the community very welcoming. They were wonderful, they could not have 81

FATHER BILL GILL Parish Priest 1992 to 1996

Involvement:

Aspendale Gardens Expansion:

I was here from 1992-1996. I would have been here longer, but the Archbishop of the day, Archbishop Little wanted to have an experimental parish where there would be a lay priest as the Parish Leader.

This was what the parish selected, and we chose Terry Curtin who was officially installed as the Parish Leader. I then moved to East Doncaster.

There was great expansion with the school at the time. Aspendale Gardens was a big thing and as a result school enrolments grew dramatically. There were many families wanting baptisms and having their children’s faith prepared for the future. That was an important role for the priest, and it was great to see so many families willing to be involved in parish life.

That’s something I look back fondly on.

Transition:

Parish Community:

I suppose helping navigate the change from a Priest being the Pastoral Leader to a Lay Priest being the Leader of the Parish was perhaps one of the biggest challenges ever undertaken and having the community embrace and accept this was quite an achievement.

The love of the people in the parish and school community helps you to respond to whatever the calls are that come to you. Whether it was to marry someone, to baptize, bury a family member or talk to the children in class. It gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning and gives you energy and enthusiasm for doing your work.

Parish Council Back then we had a Parish Council which met and planned the Parish Activities. They’ve always been very willing to get involved.

Partner with Principal: 82

I enjoyed my time here. I worked closely with the Principal Chris Dickinson and the staff of the school.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Alwyn

Cathie

Fathers Club: I was involved with the Fathers Club,

Fundraising: Sue Dorman and I ran the fete for quite a

getting things done to help raise funds. We once raised over $10,000 with a single fete. We did

few years. We were always up at the school with the Mothers Club or selling raffle tickets. Everything we

fundraising through fish and chip nights which were big social events. We ran a Men’s Club every Saturday

did was for the school. Every dollar we raised we put back for our kids education.

morning which focused on gardening, repairs, maintenance and fixing things.

The growth in the school is just amazing. To look at it today it is just incredible.

It’s hard to describe, but there is a real community spirit. Everybody just kicks in and helps. We are really proud of all the things we did and achieved. We had a lot of fun and we are still friends with everyone.

One word: Sensational

One word: Proud

CATHIE & ALW YN DUMAS Parents 83

CHRIS & JUDY DICKINSON Principal 1991 to 1999 (Chris) & Teacher

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

interesting history and I think that people here are very proud of their community

Chris The big thing I was facing was the transition from a small school to potentially being a very big school, like what it is today. When I left there was over 430 students and

Father Bill Gill: Credit to Father Bill Gill because he built the Parish Pastoral Team, and he did a lot of work tied in with the school community, and also helped welcome the new Aspendale Gardens community.

more to come New Buildings: When I arrived in 1991, there were only half a dozen houses in Aspendale Gardens, so I saw my initial role as getting some of the new buildings in place to accommodate future student capacity. This included classrooms, library extensions, staff rooms and the like.

Leadership: The one thing I learnt as a leader was to consult. I learnt very early in my first year that the more you consulted, the more you united and engaged everyone helped share the leadership task.

There were a lot of physical changes going on and money was not that flush. I was lucky I had the support of the community and lots of involvement from the parents with working bees. There would be forty, fifty or even sixty parents at any given time working on projects. They built many of the things that are still visible today. It was people’s hands and feet that really made the difference.

You are given the privilege to be a leader to the students, staff and the community, which is a big responsibility. Happy kids are productive learners. If the staff are happy your kids will more likely to be happy.

I think my role was future development. I had a bit of a futurist role I guess.

The people here are extremely welcoming, understanding and supportive. They helped me to develop the leadership style that I have today, which I feel confident about

Community: A big part of my role was building community, and gelling the new Aspendale Gardens families with the existing Aspendale families. It was important to build that sense of community.

Judy I got to know St Louis when Chris was Principal here.

Then a few years later I started to do a little bit of teaching, then came on board permanently as a teacher in 1996. As a staff we were always team orientated and we all worked well together.

That was really my platform as a Leader to build the bonds of two communities together. We did lots of community and family activities. We even worked closely with Council to help put in a road through Aspendale Gardens, to help remove any divisions between the two communities.

It is great to see some of the programs initially undertaken by Chris have now been further developed and progressed even more under Tom

The one thing that strikes me about this community is it’s like a country town. It is a very strong community

Community: We loved the community so much we moved here ourselves twelve years ago. It’s all about the people. The friendship of the people here is important to us. We have made lifelong friends.

which sticks together and supports each other.

I never really knew much about the Aspendale Community, but when I got here it didn’t take me long to realize that I’d hit the jackpot because of the support and knowledge of the community. It’s got a really 85

BERNIE & MAUREEN BEASLEY Parents

Bernie

Maureen

Fathers Club: I was on the Fathers’ Club and helping out with the working bees and having drinks down at the Presbytery hosted by Father Gill…. Ssssshhhhh!

Tuck shop: Everyone worked as a voluntary person in the tuck-shop. We raised funds to help the school to be self-sufficient in different ways like funding library

Father Bill Gill: Father Bill Gill really got the place kicking.

He was just a person’s person and knew how to get the social side of things going. He involved everyone.

books, food items for the tuck-shop, cutting boards, electric heaters, hot water systems and the like. Not big items just the necessary items.

Personal Story: I’ll tell you a funny story about Father Gill. He was a mad Carlton supporter. He was always mixing with the hob nobs down at the club. One Saturday afternoon a parishioner contacted Father Gill to say their Auntie had died and wanted him to conduct a Rosary. Bill contacted me saying he was at a Football Club function and convinced me that I could do the Rosary. So I went down and did the Rosary shaking in my boots. It all turned out OK.

One Word: Community We were all very close. None of us had any real money.

We were all starting virtually from scratch. You didn’t have much so it made you appreciate more what you had to battle for, and what you actually achieved.

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PHIL & SHAUNA O’GORMAN Parents & Parishioners

Sue Gordon is another standout person from that time.

What she has done over the years is amazing with her generosity of time. She has been involved with all areas of the community.

Shauna We have been involved with the Parish, Tennis Club and School. I got involved with the Mothers’ Club relatively early helping out with the fetes. There was almost a village feel in the community, everyone knew everyone. There were lots of simple activities that we got involved with, such as fashion parades, discos, skate nights, chocolate drives, fish and chip nights. It was very community minded. Back then people tended to bring their kids to mass on a Sunday and then played tennis in the afternoon.

Phil Community: They were a pretty genuine group of people. There was a common struggle to keep going for all families in those days. We weren’t destitute, but we weren’t millionaires either. There was a sense that if we all pitched in we would get things done for the good of the Parish or School.

I think our children were extremely happy at St Louis.

We were really happy with how they were taught and how they were nurtured. I don’t think I could have asked

The sense of Community extended to the tennis club as well. People enjoyed socializing together. We were lucky when our kids were growing up. The Principal of the school and Parish priest at the time were very welcoming. It was a really nice place for kids to grow up.

It was a secure environment. You could trust everybody and you felt secure.

for more from a school or parish point of view.

VIP: Pauline Parker was a wonderful teacher at the school and taught our children but was also active in the Parish. She was always around, a stalwart and always very easy to talk to and very generous with her time.

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CARMEL JOYCE Parent & Teacher

Involvement:

Now:

I worked in the office for 29 years and when I first started, everybody new everybody, it was more like a Country town.

The teachers have to work a lot harder and more is expected of them. The kids used to have a piece of paper for their reports, now it’s pages and pages they are given. I think as the School has grown, they’ve given the kids a lot more opportunities to excel in the area that they enjoy.

Building the School: Often the Cows or horses would come down. Marie (Murphy) would have to run out and take them home again or back to the paddocks where they were supposed to be. The back of the School used to be like a lake. If it rained, the kids couldn’t go out or they would be covered in mud. They got a lot of filling from St Kilda Junction. When they dug all that out they brought it here and dumped it on our oval. Then the Dads would have to have the working bees to level it out.

Other thoughts: The staff have always been very dedicated and we’ve had some great Principals. I’ve been extremely lucky to work in such a happy, caring environment. I loved coming to work and loved the kids.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

has given me ‘friendships for life’. Many of the teachers are good friends now.

Involvement: Going back 25 years ago, I did some volunteering here and then Chris Dickinson gave me a position as an Art Teacher. I instigated the Art program, as I was the first

Chris Dickinson & Tom Lindeman: They both wanted the Staff to be happy, wanting us to further our careers and to always challenge ourselves.

I think Tom is a true administrator; he delegates and is very good in that position. Chris was very inclusive and very Parish based.

teacher to bring Art to the School and it is still strong today.

The Community: It was a community based School back then, I was immediately welcomed in as a teacher as well as a parent. The community is very faithful and church based, all the parents would get together and really help the School in different ways.

The community was like home, coming here everyday, you felt happy to come to School because the kids were happy and the staff were great. This community

SEANA HUNT Parent & Teacher

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STUART PETCHEY Parent

Opportunity:

Aspect:

We did our research and felt that this school offered the best opportunity for our kids. Certainly a large part of what my children are today is because of this school and the foundations of their schooling.

The St Louis community is based on relationships and commonality of purpose. Everyone was working hard to pay off the house, feed and educate their children and out of necessity came valuable relationships that have

Aspect started as an idea at a progressive dinner fundraiser, not that I remember much food! It was the early hours of the morning and someone put on the LP Jesus Christ Superstar and we all started singing.

By the end of the night we convinced ourselves that we were more talented than the original London cast, so we formed the idea of staging it for our Community as a fundraiser. It was a bit controversial at the time to host such a production, but Terry Curtin supported us.

He even donated two thousand dollars to help put it on, and in the end it was a success raising more than six thousand dollars. I had never sung in public in my life and now I do some big band stuff. Aspect is now quite a

lasted right through to this day.

respected theatre group.

Friendships: The wonderful bonus for my children is the friendships they’ve formed through their time here and the lifelong networks that were created for them.

One Word: Happy: You come into this school and it has happy written all over it.

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GAYLE CHILD

Parent & Intergration Aid

Community:

Characters:

When we first started there was only one building and you very quickly got to know most people and most families. It was very community orientated. My children have very fond memories of their primary school years, and I have fond memories of being a parent.

Michael Brookes taught my kids, and he was a character.

He gave every child a nickname and made everyone feel at ease. The kids loved him as a teacher.

Tom Lindeman is a driving force. He’s a really hard worker with high expectations and everyone strives to meet those expectations. I don’t know who will come next, but they will have huge shoes to fill.

Events: There have been many memorable events over the years; Teachers versus students netball games where the teachers wore crazy costumes, a young Shane Crawford came and played netball one year. The fetes have always been big - Kathy Childs and I worked

Impact:

on the ice cream stand for I don’t know how many years. Twilight sports were always a big thing as well, parents would come and sit around the boundaries and bring their glasses of wine. There was always a great community spirit about the school.

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The school has had a huge impact on my life. It has made me more confident, helped me to relate to people better. It has really helped me develop my skills. I work with children here who struggle with learning or who have been diagnosed with special learning needs. You build really strong relationships and you miss them when they go. It is a great place, I feel part of it. The job and the people keep me here.

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

ELIZABETH NEWINGTON

TRISH ANGLISS

Parent & Parishioner

Parent & Parishioner

Sr Geraldine:

Friendships:

She was the Principal at that time and she said to parents when we came to drop our Prep Children off, “Leave them at the gate.” She didn’t want parents upsetting the children. She said “come and pick them up at the end of the day.”

We have a group that meets every Christmas Eve, sometimes it is the only time we see each other all year.

Even though you might not have seen each other for a whole year, it’s just like you saw them yesterday.

Belonging:

You knew everyone in the community. The fish and chip nights we would have a couple of times a year was a big community thing, just being together. I guess that is the beauty of a smaller school.

Community Spirit:

There are so many lovely people around the place. It has always been friendly and welcoming. I have always felt that right from the start. I have always thought this is where we belong. We’ve been here for over 40 years now.

Organ: I started playing the organ on Saturday nights with a couple of people singing. We did that for about 15 years.

I just wanted to share my talents. I was just happy to be part of the service.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

K ATHY CHILDS

PAULINE PARKER

Parent, Teacher & Grandparent

Parent, Teacher & Grandparent

Communication:

Community:

I think community is a big part of the school, but as the school gets bigger it is harder to keep the communication lines open so people feel a part of the community. So it has been a big focus in recent years.

The people make the community; they are very warm and caring. That’s what’s really lovely about the place.

I’ve made life long friends. When children left the School, they assimilated into secondary School very easily.

It’s a very good School and people are busting to get their kids here. We have had wonderful Principals and I believe a School is as good as it’s leader.

Gardens: The kitchen to garden have been a real highlight for the kids. It is a bit of a gathering place. It is a great area to get together, have a drink or a wood fired pizza.

One Word: Community: In regards to that sense of belonging. When I first came back to teaching I had 3 children. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my second boy and Jane (Flannery) told me to ‘bring him to School Pauline’.

He came and joined in with the other kids.

Technology: Probably one of the greatest changes in recent years has been technology. It is such a big change to the way you teach. For the kids it is just a way of life.

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CARMEL BARKER Parent & Teacher

could not imagine living anywhere else. The friendships our children made are lifelong friendships. They still have the same contact with the same group of people from their primary years. We used to always say it’s like a country town feel.

Netball: We started a netball club called Aspendale Arrows. It is still going today but it originally started as a group of St Louis parents who wanted something for the girls to do and we couldn’t be bothered going to Chelsea. So quite a successful netball club came out of it.

As my kids would say, “the Aspendale Mafia would always know exactly what was happening.” If the kids did anything someone was sure to tell you within a week. Everyone looked out for each other in that way.

Parish & Community: We’ve been Parish people our entire adult lives. My husband is the Parish Accountant. I love the Parish. I 94

Carmel with her grandchildren / March 2015

us on our toes, challenging but supportive. Whatever the new development in education Tom brings us up to speed more or less straight away. If it’s a new thought or practice we’ll have it in and be trialing it straight away. It is all Tom’s drive to present the best educational

Alpha Program: Back in 2001 we ran a very successful Alpha Program through the Parish where we had over 140 people come for six weeks in a row to develop their understanding of their faith. It was amazing.

opportunities for the children.

Leadership:

I love working here. There is a real energy about the place. It has such a positive vibe.

I think Tom is an amazing leader. He has a great vision.

Chris Dickinson was the same. I have been lucky to work under two great leaders. I admire Tom, he keeps 95

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0 0 2to02014 Sustainability award / 2014

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

2000 to 2014

GROW TH YEARS The years 2000 to 2014 were one of growth in all aspects of the St Louis community. There were lots of changes to the curriculum of the school brought about by new educational programs and initiatives, and the impact of technology. The school grew in size dramatically in enrolments, staff and building infrastructure. The site today is nearly unrecognizable compared to the early pioneer years. The local community has undergone significant building growth and second and third generations are identifiable now in our school and community.

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

2003

2001

Major building program to demolish and rebuild toilet block, extend staffroom, erect new covered walkway to link external classrooms, build a new modular classroom block comprising 4 classrooms and multi-purpose room, upgrade electricity supply, replace drainage infrastructure, extend asphalt carpark and relocate basketball courts

Mr Tom Lindeman appointed Principal Fish, Payne & Pattenden architects appointed to develop master building plan.

Major library and computer resourcing upgrade

2000 Mr James Whelan appointed Acting Principal for 12 months Father Michael Quigley appointed Parish Priest of Aspendale and Mordialloc parishes

2002 Approval granted for a $1.3 million building program made up of Supplementary Capital Grant of $890,000 and school loan of $500,000 Mick’s Shed demolished and new machinery shed erected on far

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side of tennis courts. Stonecon Constructions appointed to undertake preparatory site works Bike enclosure dismantled and relocated Tenders called and Gemcan Constructions builders appointed

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

2005

2007

Classrooms 1-7 repainted and re-carpeted. Library, Computer Lab, Staffroom and Teacher’s Workroom air-conditioned

School enrolment hits 600.

Major computer upgrade.

Commencement of classroom Air-conditioning & Interactive Whiteboards installation

Church and parish hall refurbished

Architects appointed for Extension of Administration Block and Development of a new Hall/ Gymnasium Complex

2004 Official Opening and Blessing of School extension and renovations

by Archbishop Denis Hart.

‘Quest’ Musical

2006 New Adventure Playground built.

Multi-purpose room air conditioned Before and After School Care Program opened (October) ‘Joseph’ Musical

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

2008 School enrolment reaches 635 Community Grant awarded towards purchase and installation of water tanks Builders appointed for Extension and Refurbishment of Administration Block

2010 School enrolment grows to 687 with 25 classes New computer network backbone installed Father Michael Quigley passes away unexpectedly in September Hall/Gym completed and officially opened on 10th December 2010 ‘Noah’ Musical

‘Oh Rats’ Musical

2009

2011

School enrolment grows to 665 Extention and refurbishment of Administration Building completed in May Federal Government Grant for $3 million to build Hall/Gymnasium and extend Library, which commenced in June 2009

School enrolment reaches 705 with 26 classes Father Andrew Jekot appointed as Parish Priest of St Louis Aspendale and St Brigid’s Mordialloc

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

2012 School enrolment increases to 730 with 27 classes

2014

New Master Building and Grounds Sustainabilty Plan developed and application for Commonwealth Grant for Stage 1 lodged November 2012

School enrolment increases to 760 with 28 classes Approval from the CEO granted for Stage 1 of the Building Master Plan, to the value of $4,000,000

‘Beauty’ Musical

‘Alice in Wonderland’ Musical

2013 School enrolment increases to 745 Stage 1 of Sustainability Precinct incorporating Garden Kitchen commissioned April 2013 Wellbeing Drama Festival

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 FIRST LOLLIPOP MAN APPOINTED

THE SUSTAINABILITY PRECINCT HAS WON MANY AWARDS

Enrolments grew to

A garden to kitchen program was installed

The Computer room and Library was given separate space

2014

759

2014 The year the sustainability precinct was completed

2000

 The School focused on Buildings & Technology





THERE IS A SCHOOL MUSICAL EVERY SECOND YEAR

School gym being built / 2009

Our Stories

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Bega Cup Football team / 2004

A tribute to...

JAN SMITH 1946 – 2011

Jan worked in St Louis Parish Office for 16 years as Parish Secretary (1995-2010). She worked with Fr Bill Gill, Terry Curtin and Fr Michael and contributed in many aspects of Parish life.

Jan has three children - a son: Brad plus identical twin daughters: Kate and Anna. She also has seven grandchildren – Ziggy Smith; Brooke, Mitchell and Amelia Gebbing; and Aiden, Liam and Heath Adams.

Jan had a close connection with St Louis school over many years as her children all attended St Louis School and now two of her grandchildren are in Prep at the school.

When St Louis became a combined parish with St Brigid’s, Jan’s parish work extended across both parishes. Her daughters were married at St Louis Church and St Brigid’s Church by Fr Michael Quigley.

Jan was also involved in St Louis Tennis Club and because of her years of commitment to the Club became a life member in 2000. Jan was ticket secretary for Aspect and particularly enjoyed their dress rehearsals. Jan was on Parish Council for many years and coordinated the Fete plant stall with Margaret Campbell and later assisted Gwen Dundon with the Devonshire Teas stall.

Jan enjoyed walking her dog Casper, movies, gardening, reading, cooking and visiting family in Murwillumbah, NSW.

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Jan passed away after a long battle with Breast cancer on 19th August 2011. Her contributions, kind and gentle spirit and memory will live on forever.

A tribute to...

FR MICHAEL QUIGLEY 1948 – 2010

Parish Priest of Mordialloc /Aspendale from 1999-2010.

Michael was born on 5th July 1948, a twin and one of 5 children. He grew up in Kew and attended Sacred Heart Kew from P-2 and then De La Salle College in Malvern from Year 3.

Michael trained for the priesthood in Melbourne from 1966-1973 and was ordained on 19th May 1973.

Fr Michael was appointed to St Louis de Montfort’s in 2000 as the first Parish Priest of the partner parishes of St Brigid’s, Mordialloc and St Louis de Montfort’s, Aspendale.

He had a fine eye for restoration and renovated the Presbytery and Church at St Brigid’s and the Church at St Louis.

Michael loved gardening, cooking, fine dining and his beloved Bombers.

Parishioners have fond memories of his short and sharp masses, thought provoking Lenten reflections, personalised Baptism stoles, homemade jars of jams, relishes, pickles and such like for parish fetes and functions, and annually hosted parish lunches at the presbytery.

Fr Quigley served the Church as a priest for 37 years. He passed away from ill-health on 10th September 2010. His contributions to both parishes and the community over 11 years is remembered with fondness and his legacy will live on.

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MIMMO RODOLICO (PHILLIPS) Lollipop Man

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Involvement:

Tom:

I was first associated through the St Louis Church, Merie

The School and Parish are a lot bigger and a lot better

and Theo Jaspers invited me to come to this Parish. On the first Sunday, the first day, I took up the collection and did it ever since.

now, thanks to Tom Lindeman. He’s got a good eye for business and to help the children’s wellbeing and all that.

Lollipop man:

I won an award because of what I did in the community.

The ‘Shine On Award’. I was on television and on the front page of the local leader newspaper with the lady who nominated me, Rosie Cutter-Chelsea.

Winning an award:

I got here early one morning and I thought I’ll put the flags on the crossing because there was no crossing supervisor in those days. The next thing, the Principal, Chris Dickinson saw me putting out the flags and he said, “ah there’s our man”. So he rang me and said, “look, would you like to be our lollipop man?” and I said “yes”.

So from 1992 to 2013 I was the lollipop man.

Fundraising: I was their greatest asset (the School and Parish). I sold over 500 tickets for the Men’s Club; they called it the Men’s Club in those days.

Relationship with Children & Parents:

One Word:

I just love the children because they are our future. I told the children what to do and what not to do on the crossing.

There was a family who were that thrilled when I was on the crossing because the mother knew her daughter was safe. She could come to the corner and then she would leave because she knew I would be able to look after her daughter.

Caring: Because the School is here to look after the children, and they do an excellent job.

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BERNADETTE TUCKER & HELEN SHELLEY Teachers

The Children haven’t been denied any opportunities for experiencing things, the School provided lots of opportunities with excursions and sport giving them an all-round education.

Helen Friendly: When I first came to St Louis, I couldn’t believe how friendly everyone was. It was very much like a Country School. The Children as well as the parents were just so friendly and it is definitely still that way, everyone is made to feel welcome.

Friendships: The staff here want to continue with friendships, I mean Helen (Shelley) and I have always had a close relationship. The children at the School see this with the Teachers, they see that the Teachers are connected and they’re inclusive and therefore that goes out into the playground.

I have lots of happy memories, one was just working with the staff, they are an amazing lot and have always been very hard working. I was very grateful that I had the opportunity to work here.

Bernadette Respect: It was a delight to teach here because the kids were so motivated and that really makes teaching a lot easier, and that’s just typical of the School. I think parents helped, they were very respectful of the Teachers and therefore their children were very respectful of Teachers.

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PAUL A FERNON Deputy Principal

seen to coordinate the activities. They work very hard to ensure activities run smoothly. The students love to see their parents involved in the school, which enhances their connectedness to school.

15 years!

I have been at St Louis for 15 years. I vowed I would never stay that long in a school but St Louis has had so many exciting challenges and changes over the years that it has gone so fast. I am passionate about student welfare and supporting the learning of students with disabilities. I also love the learning and teaching of all students and supporting the staff in their development and knowledge.

Tom Tom Lindeman is the motor of the school and keeps the wheels turning. He loves a challenge and any new initiatives. Over the past few years the staff have been very stable which endorses the great job that Tom does to make it an amazing school. The staff want to be part of the excitement and passion at St Louis.

The staff There has been many wonderful staff over the years who have been passionate about St. Louis. It is great to be able to walk into the staffroom and hear the buzz and laughter amongst them. There is a passion of the staff to learn and to teach the students to reach their potential.

One word: Energising: There is always something happening at St. Louis. We are always stimulated and challenged to do our very best for the students at school. The staff are committed to their students and are always willing to put them first. The 50th celebrations displayed the energy that surrounds St. Louis and the wonderful way we celebrate as a community.

Community It has developed over the past few years into a vibrant group who are there to support their students learning.

We have parent representatives in each class who are 117

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

THERESE JACKSON Staff

Community:

Toms’ Leadership:

I started at St Louis as a volunteer in 1996, now I am the Administration Assistant. The sense of Community is really strong and is like a little Country Town. St Louis is always beautiful, welcoming and inclusive.

I’d say one word to describe Tom Lindeman is ‘excellence’. He just puts the bar so high and wants an excellent School at all levels and he is very good at what he does.

Chris’ Leadership:

One Word:

Chris Dickinson was a people person, first and foremost.

His door was always open. He was an amazing man, he gave me the opportunity to work here and be part of the St Louis team.

Excellence: We have the opportunity to excel, both as a student and as a staff member. The students’ confidence is unbelievable. If I’d had my way, my children would have come here.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

JULIE W YNNE Teacher

–– Sustainability Victoria ResourceSmart Water Primary School of the year

Involvement: I started in 2001 and the buildings were very disconnected, now they are linked better and more accessible.

–– Sustainability Victoria ResourceSmart Primary Teacher of the year –– Victorian Schools Garden Regional Award

Tom as Principal:

–– Victorian Schools Garden Kevin Heinze Perpetual

Tom is probably one of the biggest characters; he’s one of the best leaders you could ever work with. He sees and allows you to do a lot of really interesting and different things that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to do in a smaller school.

Award We try and be an exemplary School and have a lot of Schools come and visit to learn about how we started our journey.

St Louis is about the kids, they come first, second, third and all what we do is for the children of this School.

Awards: Last year we finished off our Sustainability Precinct.

We appointed a consultant to develop a Grounds Development master plan to complement our Building master plan. We also put in a Garden to Kitchen program and won the following awards:

I love coming to work, if I’d been at another School, I would never have had the opportunities like I have had here. St Louis gets into your blood.

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

MARIA EGIZII

TERESA AITKEN

Teacher

Teacher

Involvement:

Friendships:

I started here as a part-time Italian Teacher and then eventually I taught Italian 2 days and spent 3 days in the classroom. I remember the staff were so welcoming, helpful and friendly.

I have made some really good friendships over the course of 15 years. Teachers have come and gone but I have still kept in touch with some.

I am actually fortunate that it’s almost been twentyfive years of teaching and I still enjoy it. The curriculum changes, technology changes, children are different all the time. You don’t get caught up in the boring, mundane tasks everyday, so I am one of the lucky ones.

School: Over the years the School has grown and improved, with Buildings and Technology but I think the friendliness is still the same and that caring nature.

One Word: Great: It is a great School because of the people that work here.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Library:

Tom:

When I first came into the Library, it was shared with the

I think the minute that I got here, Tom was new and he

Computer Lab. It was one big room, half was the Library and half was the Computer Lab. When we eventually got

had a vision straight up, he knew where the School was going and I think that’s been a contributing factor to

the Library built, it was fantastic.

where the School is today.

The things I do in the Library are more the resourcing for the whole School. I do a lot of ordering for different teachers, like if they want stuff for Science; I’ll order things in. All the guided reading, all of the math equipment. It’s quite a big job.

Paula: I also find Paula fantastic to work with, she’s so supportive and anything that you go to her with she takes on board and we work through things straight away.

School Musical:

One word:

It’s an amazing School. I direct the School musical, we do that every second year and I just love it. Just the way that Tom supports us in all of that, it just always turns out to be fantastic. The kids amaze me.

Happiness: I have been really happy here.

GAYNOR DOWNIE Staff

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

SUSAN DORNOM

Parent, Parishioner & Parish Secretary

Community:

Involvement:

All my friends are either from the school, the parish or tennis club. There is a lot of overlap. People tend not to move out of the community. Even today there are lots of parents and grandparents who have children here at the school because everyone has stayed in the same area.

It is really a nice place to live, and why would you move anywhere else?

I have been secretary to the parish now for four years. I have sort of grown into the job like you tend to do with families. I initially started filling in and helping out when Father Quigley was Parish Priest and quite ill. I was a good friend so did a lot of caring for him.

I have also been part of the school Parents & Friends and Tennis club. I have always done a lot of volunteering work. My family have all had to put up with me disappearing for Parish events since day dot. It is part of their life too. As a result they don’t mind putting in and doing things for others because that is what they have grown up with. The Parish is my Family. You can’t leave

It is the people that make this parish so special. The buildings are nice, but it’s how people interact that makes the place so unique. It is a really nice community to be part of. The school is fantastic, the Parish is fantastic and there are always lots of things happening and it’s nice to be part of it. I can’t imagine life without St Louis.

your family. I love it.

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123

Parish Feast Day Mass / 19th April, 2015

TONY ALLDAY Mens Group

Scholarship, which is awarded to a deserving year 6 student as they move onto Secondary School.

The Men’s Group: In 1992 I was approached to be part of the Men’s Group here and have been a group member ever since. The Men’s Group was closely aligned to the School with most of the members being dads of the School. A lot of the activities we did were to do with working bees and fundraising for the School. One year we invested the money raised into a barbecue trailer, which is still hired out for various parties and events.

One word: Friendly & Community minded: It is easy to fit in here because you’re made to feel welcome. If you come down to church and everybody sees that, they’re going to grab you and make you feel a part of the place. It’s a little country town in some aspects.

In recent times our membership has become more parish, rather than School dads. Now the fundraising that we do is for the parish, which the School also benefits from, we’re just trying to build the membership.

We support the School by assisting at functions, fetes and sponsoring the annual Michael Callaghan 124

FATHER ANDREW JEKOT Current Priest

liturgy. We’re here every Sunday, and young families who have kids in the School know that we’re here. We’ll organise opportunities through the School hoping that if they have a great experience of church, they’ll come.

One opportunity we try is offering Christian meditation on a Monday morning, when parents drop their kids off, the School has lots of different groups that we try and tap into.

The St Louis Community: My term here began in 2011 as Parish Priest of St Louis and St Brigids. It is a community that’s mindful of one another. I think St Louis has a very special charisma that has been nurtured over the years from various priests. It’s about looking out for one another; this community is not just a bunch of people living individual lives, but a bunch of people that want to share their lives with each other.

Some parishioners have lots of hats on, they get involved in different groups, others might just choose one particular group and they’ll be loyal to that. That’s a pretty obvious way to see that the Parish has grown.

One word: Relationship: This community is about a group of people who get together often and want to know one another and build upon the community. That can only happen because of relationships. Relationships with others that stems from the relationship they have with God.

Involving the Young School parents today: We insist that families come along to certain masses, and I think that sort of gives them an experience of

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2013

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2014

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y a d o T &Future Kids at Outdoor Kitchen / 2015

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

TODAY & FUTURE Today we all live busy lives but the sense of a connected and caring St Louis community is alive and strong. This is the unique ingredient that holds us together in an environment that is forever changing and advancing at an increasingly faster pace. Our community has an exciting future. The same sense of commitment and vision of our pioneers can be seen today with our students, staff, parents and leaders.

135

Did you know?

There have been 10 Principals in total at St Louis

SISTER VINCENT SL ATTERY 1965

SISTER JULIANA BRENNAN 1966 to 1968

SISTER CARMEL QUIRK 1969 to 1971

SISTER ANNE BYRNE

1972 to 1975

SISTER GERALDINE STAPLETON 1976 to 1979

SISTER CLETUS DULL ARD 1980 to 1983

MRS JANE FL ANNERY

1984 to 1990

MR CHRISTOPHER DICKINSON

1991 to 1999

MR JAMES WHEL AN 2000

MR TOM LINDEMAN

2001 to Present 136

FATHER JAMES ENGLISH

...and 12 Priests

1949 to 1969

FATHER GERRARD BRIGLIA 1970 to 1973

FATHER ANTHONY EAMES 1974 to 1979

FATHER JOHN WOODCOCK 1980 to 1989

FATHER PAT PURCELL (ADMIN) 1990

FATHER PETER WATERS 1991

FATHER WILLIAM GILL 1992 to 1995

MR TERRY CURTIN

1996 to 1999

FATHER MICHAEL QUIGLEY 2000 to 2010

FATHER LOU HERIOT 2010 to 2011

FATHER ANDREW JEKOT

2011 to Present 137

AARONS JANE ABBLITT SOFIA ANIELA ABBOT JULIE ABBOTT ANNE-MARIE ABBOTT GARY ABBOTT YONIALU ABBOUD CARLOS JONAH ABBOUD CINDY MARY ABBOUD CLAUDIA ABBOUD DANIELLA THERESA ABBOUD LUCAS ABBOUD, SAM CHARBEL ABDILLA, JAYDE PIPER ABDILLA, MADISON BRAE ACABADO, ISABELLE ACABADO, JOSHUA RAYMOND ACCAPUTO, JAMES GIUSEPPE ACCAPUTO, LUCAS JOHN ACCIARITO, NOAH MORRIS ACCIARITO, SEBASTIAN JOHN ADAMS, AIDEN STUART ADKINS, BENJAMIN ADKINS, SOPHIE ELIZABETH ADRIANO, ALISON ADRIANO, PHILIP ALEXANDER AESCHLIMANN, KAREN AINSWORTH, KIM ALBERT, JOSIP ALDANA, BENJAMIN EMILIO ALDANA, DANIELA SILVANA ALDANA, GABRIEL ROBERTO ALDERMAN, HANNAH JANE ALDERMAN, ROSIE JEAN ALDERMAN, WILL ALEXANDER, KATE LAUREN ALLSOP, ALEXANDER ALWYN, NOAH GERARD ALWYN, RACHEL CRYSTAL AMATO, ANTHONY AMATO, DOMENICO AMATO, ROSA AMOR, CALLUM SYDNEY AMOR, JARROD GRANT AMOR, JOHN BRODIE AMOR, KATRINA JUDITH AMOR, TRAVIS COLIN AMOROSI, ADRIAN MICHAEL AMOROSI, MARISA LOUISE ANASTASSIADES, NIKOLAS ANDERSON, BLAKE JON ANDERSON, JENNIFER ANDERSON, KYLE JAMES ANDERSON, SAM ANDERSON, SIMON PETER ANDERSON, WADE ANDREOTTI, ADRIANO RAFFAELE ANDREOTTI, DANIELLE ANDREOTTI, DAVID ARDEN ANDRONIS, ELLIE IRENE ANDRONIS, NICHOLAS ANGELIDIS, KELLY ANGLISS, EMILY LOUISE ANGLISS, JAMES EDWARD ANGLISS, MICHAEL ANSALDE, GRANT ANSALDE, JANE EILEEN ANTHONISZ, ADAM GLENN ANTHONISZ, BENJAMIN PETER ANTHONISZ, BRIAN KEITH ANTHONISZ, KINGSLEY STEVE ANTHONISZ, RUBY ANTHONISZ, SAM WILLIAM ANTHONISZ, THOMAS JAMES ANTHONISZ, TOBY ANTONIC, ROBERT ANTONIC, SUSAN ANTONIDES, GEMMA ELIZA ANTROBUS, WIL ROBERT APPLEBY, ALIYA ARAMIAN, JEREMY ARAMIAN, NATALIE ARAMIAN, RINA ARDREY, LUKE TOMAS ARDREY, MICHAEL SHAW ARHONTISSAS, CAITLYN ELISE ARHONTISSAS, LUKE STEVEN ARKINSTALL, MELISSA ARMAO, PAIGE LOUISE ARMIT, JAMES COLIN ARMIT, WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, DAVID ARDEN ARMSTRONG, INDIANNA CAITLYN ARMSTRONG, JAMES ARMSTRONG, JOHN ARMSTRONG, SARAH ARMSTRONG, SIMONE LEE ARMSTRONG, YASMIN TAYLA ASKER, SAMUEL JAMES ASSI, BEULE BRIDGET ASSI, HUSSEIN ASSI, NASSAB ASTFALCK, KADIN JACK ATES, RICHARD ATES, ROBERT ATES, RODNEY ALAN ATKIN, PARIS KARLA ATKIN, SIENA LILY ATTARD, JAYDEN ALLEN ATTARD, KRYSTAL ATTARD, MATTHEW CHARLES AUGELLO, BIANCA JOY AUGELLO, FIONA GAY AUGELLO, JASON ALAN AUGELLO, PAUL MICHAEL AUGUST, TYRET AUGUST, VERONIQUE AWAD, BENJAMIN PAUL AWAD, CHARLIE AWAD, JESSICA AWAD, TONY AYOUB, ISLA JAMES BABARE, RYAN CHARLES BADU, ELLA-ABENA BAKER, AMELIE ELLA GRACE BAKER, ANNELIESE BAKER, CHLOE ELIZABETH BAKER, PATRICK JAMES BALAZO, IAN BALDWIN, MAKENZIE BALL, MADDISON ANNE BALLAS, ELIZA JANE BALLAS, JESSICA GRACE BALLAS, MATTHEW LEO BALLINGALL, AIDEN PATRICK BALLINGALL, MYLES WILLIAM BALSILLIE, ANGUS MARTIN BALSILLIE, HAMISH BALSILLIE, OSCAR MARTIN BALSILLIE WILLIAM MARTIN BANKS-SMITH, LUKE BARAKIS, SERGIO BARCA, DANIELLA-PIA BARCLAY, CHRISTINE BARKER, CATHERINE BARKER, EMILY ANNE BARKER, GEORGINA ELIZABETH BARKER, JODIE MAREE BARKER, JODIE MARIE BARKER, REBECCA JEAN BARKER, SIMON PETER BARKER THOMAS WILTON BARMAN, MICHAEL BARMAN, VERONICA BARNES, DAVID AUSTIN BARNES, KATE ELIZABETH BARNFIELD, KIRSTEE ROWEENA BARNFIELD, ROHAN SCOTT BARNHOORN, AMANDA SUZANNE BARNHOORN, ANTHONY BARNHOORN, KELLIE RITA-MARIE BARNHOORN, LUKE PETER BARNHOORN, MARK HERMAN BARNHOORN, MEAGAN MICHELLE BARNHOORN, PETER BARON, MARK TIMOTHY BARONE-D’AMICO, ROMINA BARONE-D’AMICO, TALIA BARR, HAYDEN PATRICK BARRET, THOMAS BARRETT, AMANDA JULIE BARRON, WILLIAM PETER BARROW, ELIZABETH SIMONE BARROW, HUGH JACKSON BARRY, GRACE CATHERINE MARY BARRY, THOMAS ELIJAH BARSTOW, ALEXANDER JAMES BARTEL, GITTA BARTEL, JASMIN BARTEL, RUBEN BARTLEMAN, ASHLEY PETER CROGAN BARTLEMAN, LUCY BARTLEMAN, TOBY GREVILLE BARTON, ALEX DAVID BARTON, JASMINE LOUISE BARTOSY, ADAM ANDREW BARTOSY, BRIGITTE JULIA BARTOSY, ROHAN ELEK BASSETT-COUACAUD, LUCAS JAMES ANDREW BATER, ELLA MAY BATER, JACK PARKER BATER, OWEN DANIEL BATES, ASHLEIGH PATRICIA BATES, DEBRA BATES, FIONA BATES, SARAH JOAN BATSON, BRIDGET JOYCE BATSON, REBECCA ANN BATSON, RILEY BAXTER, SARAH BEAN, MITCHELL ALFRED BEAN, WILLIAM BEASLEY, BRENDAN JAMES BEASLEY, CANDACE BEASLEY, CANDACE BEASLEY, DANIELLE MAREE BEASLEY, ERIN BRIGID BEASLEY, ERIN BRIGID BEASLEY, HOLLY BEASLEY, HOLLY BEASLEY, MARK BARNARD BEASLEY, MATTHEW BEASLEY, MICHAEL BEASLEY, PATRICIA ANN BEASLEY, SAMUEL THOMAS BEASLEY, SCOTT BEASLEY, TIM BEASLEY, TIMOTHY BEATIE, LUCY IVA BEATIE, TYLER JAMES BECKER, WAYNE BEDIKIAN, NYRIE BEDOYA, ETHAN JAMES BEDOYA, TY JACKSON BELL, LISA MARIE BELL, TAYLAH MARY BELL, TRACEY BELLERT, JESSICA JANE BELLERT, MICHAEL KEVIN BELLERT, PETRA MAREE BELLERT, SHEREE SYBIL BELLERT, STEPHEN BELLINO, GIANNI JOSEPH BENNIE, DARREN WAYNE BENNIE, DAVID LUKE BENTON, BILLY JAMES BERGIN, DAMIAN BERGIN, KATE BERGIN, MICHAEL BERRY, CALE JONATHAN BERRY, RILEY BERTSCHIK, JAMES BIBBY, LUKE BIELECKI, LOUISE BIELECKI, MELANIE BIELECKI, SIMON BIELINSKI, ELA BILLING, MATTHEW BILLING, TYLER WILLIAM BILSBOROUGH, DEBORAH BILSBOROUGH, JOHANN CHRISTOPHER BILSBOROUGH, SHANE BIRD, AMIRA ZAHRA BIRD, GEORGINA KERRY BIRD, KAIDEN CHRISTOPHER BIRD, STEPHEN JAMES BIRLEY, ANGELA HELENA BIRLEY, CHRISTOPHER BLACKSHAW, AMY ROSE BLACKSHAW, DAN PETER RANDLE BLAINEY, EMILY JANE BLAINEY, NICHOLAS JAMES BLAKE, STEPHANIE ANNE BLAKENEY, CATHERINE BLAKENEY, JOANNE BLAKENEY, RHONDA BLAKENEY, TIMOTHY BLAMPIED, CHELSEA-JO BLECKER, STEPHEN BLEEKER, JOHN BLEEKER, MARGARET BLEEKER, PAUL BLEEKER, STUART PAUL BLOMFIELD, KLAUDIA BLOMFIELD, KURT ALEXANDER BLYTH, GEORGIA RACHEL BLYTH, MATILDA CATHERINE BLYTH, PATRICK OSCAR BOCCARI, JESSICA BOCCARI, MARK BOCCARI, NATHAN BOCCARI, SARAH BODOR, ETHAN BODOR, MASON BOERS, PETER BOND, CHARLOTTE BOND, CRAIG COLIN BONGIORNO, AMY BONGIORNO, CARLY BONGIORNO, SARAH BONNET, CHLOE MARIEBONNET, JOSHUA JAMES BORTOLI, BENJAMIN ROBERT BORTOLI, JESSICA LAURA BORTOLI, JOSEPH SHANE BORTOLI, SAMANTHA JADE BOSA, DAVID BOSA, JANINE BOSA, LES BOSA, LINDA CATINA BOSA, PAUL BOUBOULIS, MICHAEL BOUBOULIS, PETER BOUGHTON, HARRISON CHARLES BOUGHTON, LACHLAN JAMES BOUGHTON, XAVIER PETER-DENNIS BOUKER, NATALIE BOULOURBASSIS, DANIEL BOULOURBASSIS, TOMASZ BOURNAZI, ADAM BOURNAZI, MICHAEL BOURNE, GIDGET OLIVIA BOWDEN, BRENT MARK BOWDEN, LEIGH BOWDEN, RYAN LUKE BOWLES, EVAN BOWLES, GRACE EMILY BOWLES, LIAM JACK BOYLE, LISA BOYLE, SHELLEY BRADLEY, CRAIG BRADLEY, DYLAN BRADLEY, KANE LUKE BRADLEY, SEAN BRADY, DARREN BRADY, GARY ANTHONY BRADY, K BRAGANZA, FIONA BRAGANZA, JOELLEN BRAGANZA, KARL PETERBRAGG, FRAZER ARMSTRONG BRAGG, HADYN JOHN BRAGG, LEICHA BRAGG, RACHAEL ELIZABETH BRAGG, SAMANTHA JANE BRAIN, PATRICIA ANN BRAMLEY, NIKITA BRAND, CELESTE JANE BRASACCHIO, EMILIA CELESTE BRASACCHIO, TALIA BREEN, CHARLIE JAMES BREEN, OLIVER HUGH BRENNAN, NEIL PATRICK BRENNAN, PAUL ANTHONY BRERETON, JARROD KEVIN BRERETON, SARAH ELIZABETH BRESLIN, EMILY NAOMI BRESLIN, KATHLEEN MAREE BRESLIN, RACHEL JANEBRIDGET BRETT, KIM BRETT, SHARLING BREWER, KIRSTY ANNE BREWER, MATTHEW JAMES BRIGGS-DODGE, KATE ANNE BRIGHT, JULIA BRIGHT, JUSTIN BRIGHT, MATTHEW BRILLIANT, ANTHONY JAMES BRILLIANT, DONNA BRILLIANT, STEWART RUSSELL BROADBENT, CHLOE ROSE BROADBENT, COURTNEY LOUISE BROADBENT, JESSICA ALMA BROCKWELL, CHRISTINE BRODIE, KATELIN DANIELLE BRODIE, LACHLAN ROBERT BRODIE, MICHIEL BRODIE, SIMON BRODIE, TYLER JAMES BROMLEY, TODD ROBERT BROOKER, MALCOLM BROOKS, EMILY JANE BROOKS, GREG JOHN BROOKS, KARA ANNE BROOKS, MEGHAN BROOKS, SIMONE BROTHERTON, EMILY LOUISE BROTHERTON, HAYLEY BROTHWOOD, CLAUDIA LOUISE BROTHWOOD, DOMINIC JAMES BROTHWOOD, MADELEINE ROSE BROWN, BENJAMIN DANIEL BROWN, CONOR JAMES BROWN, PATRICIA ANN BROWN, PENNI JASMINE BROWN, STEPHEN BROWN, SUSAN BROWNE, ANDREW DAVID BROWNE, STEVEN ALBERT BRUCE, AYRTON VINCENT BRUCE, CIARA ANGEL BRUCE, LEILANI TALIA BRUCE, MATTHEW JOHN BRUCE, RACHEL ROSE BRYANT, LUCIA BRYANT, SOPHIA ALESSANDRA BRYANT, TIANA JOAN BUATTI, DANIELE EZIO ADRIANO BUATTI, MARCO ANTONIOEZIO BUATTI, ROBERTO BUATTI, STEFANO GREGORIO BUCKLEY, BREEZE BUCKLEY, ELEANOR LOUISA MAY BUCKLEY, LILY ELOISA RAE BUCKLEY, RAINBEAUX DOVE BUCKLEY, WILLOW BULL, JAKE WILLIAM BULL, JAMES PATRICK BULLEN, FORTUNE BUNNAGE, AMY LOUISE BUNNAGE, SAMUEL BENJAMIN BURCH, DARCY REBECCA BURCH, TIMOTHY BURDETT, ADAM JOSEPH BURGOYNE, DAVID BURGOYNE, KRISTA LOUISE BURKE, BENEDICT JOSEPH BURKE, CAITLIN JOYCE BURKE, CLAIRE VERONICA BURKE, DOMINIC BURKE, GERARD BURKE, HARVEY JAMES BURKE, JUDE FRANCISBURKE, LACHLAN DRAYSON CHRISTOPHER BURKE, LUKE HAYBURN BURKE, MADELEINE JAMES BURKE, MARCUS JOSEPH BURKE, MARTIN BURKE, XAVIER PAUL BURLEIGH, CELESTE BURLEIGH, LEON ANTHONY BURNHAM, KIARA LOUISE BURNHAM, RICK JOHN BURNS, COLIN BURNS, HELEN BURNS, JANINE MAREE BURNS, JULIE BURNS, MICHELLE BURNS, PAUL BURT, ALLANNAH MACKENZIE BURT, JASMINE ALEXANDRA BURTON, GABRIELLE KATE BURTON, MATHILDA KATE BUSCHMANN, STEPHANIE BUTWELL, LYLE BUZA, KAI BENJAMIN BUZA, TAHLIA CLAIRE BUZZA, SALLY KIM BYRNES, ALEXANDRA HAYLEY BYRNES, AMBER LILLY BYRNES, GREGORY BYRNES, JULIE BYRNES, LUKE ANTHONY 138 CAFARELLA, MICHAEL JOSEPH CAFARELLA, MICHELLE TERESE CAFARELLA, MONICA MARIE BYRNES, MAX HARRISON BYRNES, PAUL ROBERT BYRNES, RUBY ANNE BYRNES, THOMAS JACKSON CAFFREY, JOANNE CAFUN, NATASHA WENDYCAHOON, GIORGIA D’ARCEYCAHOON, TAYE HAYWARD CAIRD, ALEXANDER CALABY, LAURA NAOMI CALABY, SARAH TAMARA CALLAGHAN, BRETT

What do you love about St Louis?

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

“The Kitchen Garden is wonderful.”

“Lots of play time. It’s awesome!”

NAME: Alyia / GRADE: Two

NAME: Amelia / GRADE: One

“I love to bake & play, because we get two plays” NAME: Ashley / GRADE: Three

“I like the garden and my friends, it makes me happy.”

NAME: Chloe / GRADE: One

“My friends and the Garden.”

NAME: Zoe / GRADE: One 139

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

“I do writing and all this good learning.”

“Buddies and making new friends.”

NAME: Gigi / GRADE: Two

NAME: Ella / GRADE: Prep

“Lots of great friends, play time and I really like the Garden Kitchen”

“Its passion. Good mates and I enjoy school work.”

NAME: Jasmine / GRADE: Four

Kids at Outdoor Kitchen / 2015

NAME: Riley / GRADE: Six

140

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

“All of the people here & it’s awesome”

“There’s fun, growing the garden. It’s awesome, we have lots of stuff here.”

NAME: Summer / GRADE: Five

NAME: Talia / GRADE: Five

“Amazing & Fun!”

“Everything’s my special thing.”

NAME: Sophie / GRADE: Two

NAME: Toby / GRADE: One

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Kids at Outdoor Kitchen / 2015

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Goodsy (Parent)

Matthew Marshall (Student & Parent)

“I chose to send my kids here because of the whole community spirit of the place and other parents said it was a good School. The School tries to bring everyone down here as a whole community and get everyone involved so no one feels left out. Tom is a glorious leader.”

“There was a good community feel when I went here, and it’s still got that really nice little community feel. My daughters are actually in the same class as two kids of people that I went to School with, so that’s really nice.”

Mandy Maher (Parent)

Alicia Day (Parent)

“It is a really nice community, the way they encourage everyone to become friends with parents and go out.

I’ve made lots of friends here. We didn’t know anyone before we came here and we were really welcomed.

My son loves it.”

“I love the effort the School puts in for making kids’ time a fantastic time at School. They just seem to run so many events. They give kids opportunities to try everything and be the best they can be.”

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Parents assisting in a sausage sizzle / 2015

CALLAGHAN, BRETT MICHAEL CALLAGHAN, KATE CALLAGHAN, KEITH CALLAGHAN, LISA CALLAGHAN, PAUL CALLAGHAN, STEPHEN CALVERT, LIAM JAMES CALVEZ, LUCIE HELEN CHRISTIANE CALVEZ, MAX YVES SANDY CALVEZ, ZAC ANGUS PATRICE CALVI, CHARLES CALVI, ROBERT CALVI, ROSE MAREE CAMM, JAMES ANTHONY CAMM, NATASHA LEE CAMPBELL, ANDRE DAVID CAMPBELL, DANIEL JAMES CAMPBELL, GRACE ASHLEIGH CAMPBELL, HANNAH JADE CAMPBELL, JARRAD PETER CAMPBELL, KRISTIE MAREE CAMPBELL, KYE LIAM CAMPBELL, MADDISON LEE CANLY, JESSICA LORRAINE CANLY, SHERYCE ANN CANNING-CASEY, DAISY ROSE CANNING-CASEY, JOHN LEO CANNING-CASEY, SAMUEL MICHAEL CAREY, JAKE CRAEME LAWRENCE CARGILL, DEBBIE CARGILL, JENNIFER CARLON, MAGGIE CARLON, NICHOLAS LAWRENCE CARLON, SAMUEL LUKE CARLON-GARBUTT, REMI NATHANIA CARLON-GARBUTT, SIAN ALEXANDRA CARMICHAEL, BONNIE CARMICHAEL, RORY MAGREE CARNEGIE, BEAU JAMES CARNEGIE, LUKE ASHTON CARNOVALE, JAKE VINCENT CARRATELLO, BAILEY SAMUEL VITO CARRATELLO, SHAE SHERYL MARIE CARROLL, AIDAN RILEY CARROLL, BENEDICT CARROLL, BERNADETTE ELLEN CARROLL, DAMIAN CARROLL, DENISE MARGARET CARROLL, EMMA RAE CARROLL, LIAM JOSEPH CARROLL, MATTHEW CARROLL, MICHELLE ANNE CARROLL, MOELEEN CARROLL, PHOENIX LOUISE CARROLL, ROSALIND THERESE CARROLL, SARAH CARTER, CAMERON PETER CARTER, DEBORAH CARTER, GERRARD PATRICK CARTER, JADE CARTER, JANINE CARTER, NAOMI LOUISE MAJELLA CARVALHO, KAELYN CARVALHO, KEEGAN CASABENE, ANGELA CASABENE, PIERRE CASHEN, GARRY BRYAN CASHEN, MICHAEL CASHEN, PHILIP CASHMAN, SAMANTHA YVETTE CASS, MICHAELA ELIZABETH CASS, NATALIE CHRISTINE CAVALLO, CHRISTIAN CAVALLO, JOSHUA CECIL, EMMA VIOLET CECIL, LAURA JOY CECIL, SAMANTHA LORRAINE CHAMPION, MICHAEL CHAMPION, ROBERT CHAMPION, STEVEN LACHLAN CHANDLER, FINN DANIEL CHANDLER, KOEN CHANDLER, SAGE AMY CHANDRA, ASHTON JOSHUA CHAPMAN, ELLA ROSE CHEUNG, KWAN YUI CHICK, MURRAY CHICK, TRACEY ANNE CHILD, EMILY JANE CHILD, KATHRYN LOUISE CHILD, SARAH THERESE CHILDS, CORINNA LEE CHILDS, JOSHUA BERNARD CHILDS, LORINDA CLAIRE, CHILDS NICHOLAS CHILDS, REBECCA LOUISE CHIRGWIN, CHRISTIAN PETER CHOW, DAVID CHOW, MICHAELA CHRISP, COOPER JOHN CHRISP, RYAN ADAM CHRISP, SEAN JAMES CHRISP, TAMMY CHRISP, TIFFANY CHRISTINA, PAUL CIAVARELLA, CHIARA MONIQUE CIAVARELLA, MATTHEW MARK CILIA, ANTHONY JAMES CILIA, CASEY PAIGE CIMA, ROBERTO CIMORELLI, CHRISTIAN ALBERTO CIMORELLI, EVELYN ADELE CIRUGEDA, ALESSI CLANCY, ANNABELLE SIOBHAN CLANCY, BRIDGET PETA CLANCY, JACK PIERCE CLANCY, JESSICA FRANCESMURPHY CLANCY, MICHAEL CAHILL CLAPPERTON, GLENN CLARIDGE, AMANDA JANE CLARIDGE, ANDREA LOUISE CLARIDGE, STEPHEN JOHN CLARK, BENJAMIN 'BENJI’ CLARK, HALEY ELLEN CLARK, JACKSON CHARLES CLARK, MATTHEW THOMAS CLARK, SAMANTHA LEE CLARK, TIFFANY ELIZABETH CLARKE, ANDREW DAVID CLARKE, ANDREW DAVID CLARKE, BROOKE EMILY CLARKE, GEMMA MICHELLE CLEARY, STEVIE BELLE CLIFTON, MILLIE ANN CLIFTON, WILL GRENFEL CLOHESY, MIA ROSE CLOHESY, RUBY JANICE CLOSE, WILLIAM RILEY CLOSTER, AMANDA JANE CLOSTER, JESSIE CLOSTER, SOPHIE ELIZABETH COCCARO, STELLA ROSE COELHO, TIGERLILY REBECCA TARI COGGER, CHARLOTTE MAY COGGER, MAXWELL HARRY COGGER, RICHARD RORY COLE, ADRIAN LAWRENCE COLE, ASHLEE LOUISE COLE, DEAN COLE, DEAN PAUL COLE, ELOISE CATHERINE COLE, JAMES COLE, KRISTY MARIE COLE, MELANIE LOUISE COLE, MICHAEL JAMES COLE, STEPHEN ANTHONY COLERIDGE, TOBY PAUL COLLARD, DAVID LUKE COLLARD, JAMES COLLIER, BETHANY ANN COLLINS, LEANNE COLLISON, AVA GRACE COLLISON, POPPY LEILA COLLOPY, ATTICUS JEROME BAMFORD COLPO, JACK TERENCE COLPO, JAMES RICHARD COLPO, MADISON PHILLIPPA COMARMOND, MICHELINE MARIE COMAS, JESSICA COMAS, RYAN CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY, NATASHA CONNOLLY, CAITLYN RUBY CONNOLLY, LAUREN ELISE CONRY, MAEVE CHARLOTTE CONWAY, JAYDE MONIQUE CONWAY, KYLE JAMES CONWAY, PAIGE MONTANA COOK, RHIANNON COOKE, SAMUEL EDWARD COOPER, CHARLIE SHAUN COOPER, MAYGEN ROSE COOPER, QUINN JOHN COPE, JESSIE ALYCE COPE, RYAN JAMES COPE, SCOTT COPE, SCOTT CRAIG COPE, TROY NEIL CORAM, JACK LLOYD CORDA, JENNIFER MARGARET CORDA, NICHOLAS JOHN CORMACK, LULU ROSE CORMACK, SAM AUSTIN CORTESE, CARLA GRACE CORTESE, CRISTINA ANNA CORTESE, DANIELLA ANGELINA CORTESE, FELICIA MARGARITE CORTESE, STEFANO FELICE COSGRIFF, DAVID COSGRIFF, KAREN COSTANZO, ANDREA COSTANZO, ANNA PATRICIA COSTANZO, DIANNA COSTANZO, JULIA COSTANZO, PAUL COSTANZO, ROBERT COSTELLO, JUSTIN COSTELLO, TIMOTHY JOHN COUGHLAN, BRETT COUGHLAN, CATHERINE COUGHLAN, M COULTAS, BENJAMIN EDWARD COULTAS, JOSHUA THOMAS COULTAS, LIAM ROBERT COULTAS, TIMOTHY STEVEN COUTET, CHANELLE OLIVIA JANE COX, ALICE MARGARET COX, SAMUEL DAVID COX, TESSA VICTORIA COYLE, KERRYN PATRICIA COYLE, SARAH ANNE CRAFT, RACHEL KATHRYN CRAIG, HUDSON KARL JACOB CRAIG, HUNTER CRAIG, JACOB JOHN CRAIG, JESSE DEAN CRAIG, JETT CRAINE, MATTHEW DAVID CRAINE, MICHELLE LOUISE, CRAMER CAITLYN CRAMER, TAYLOR SARAH CRANE, COOPER BLYTHMAN CRANE, RHYS BLYTHMAN CRAWFORD, BREANNA KATE CRAWFORD, CALLEN GEORGE CRAWFORD, EMILY PATRICIA CRAWFORD, JAYDEN CREAN, CHAE SUMHA CREATON, ELLA MAEVE CREATON, LORCAN JAMES CREATON, SIORCHA ROSE CRELLIN, JAMES WILLIAM SHEPHERD CRELLIN, MACKENZIE DOROTHY ANNE, CRICK EMILY JAYNE, CROON, MARTIN CROSSLEY, ANDREW CROSSLEY, REBECCA ELIZABETH CROWLEY, LIAM JAMES CROWLEY, REANNA KEELY CROWLEY, SARA RACHAEL CULLEN, ELLIE MARGARET CULLEN, GEOFFREY CULLEN, LORRAINE CULLEN, MICHELLE CUNNINGHAM, AMANDA CUNNINGHAM, BENJAMIN JOHN CUNNINGHAM, JOSHUA GREGORY CUNNINGHAM, NICHOLAS FREDERICK CURRAN, KEITH ANDREW CURRAN, PETER JAMES CURRIN, ASHLING ROSE Curtin, MADELEINE ROSE LINA CURTIS, CALEB MARCUS CUSSIGH, DANIEL JOHN CUSSIGH, LAURA GRACE CUTE, JENNA SKYE CUTE, TRAVIS GRAEDEN DAICOS, JORDAN DAICOS, MORGAN DALAIS, KOBE JOJO DALAIS, MARLON LEWIS DALBY, ANNISA MEGAN, DALE AMELIA, DALE, HARRIET D’ALI, VALENTINO DALRYMPLE, JACKIE LOUISE DALRYMPLE, JAMIE LEIGH DALRYMPLE, JEFFRIE MICHAEL DALRYMPLE, JESSIE ANN DALRYMPLE, JODIE MAREE DALTON, ANTHONY DALTON, BENITA DALTON, BRENDAN DALTON, HELEN DALTON, MARTIN DALTON, TERESA DANIELS, LISA DAOU, MICHAEL DART, HEIDI KERRYN DART, JEREMY PAUL DART, NAOMI MONIQUE DART, SIMON MATTHEW DASKOLIAS, JOHN DASKOLIPS, HRISY DAVEY, ADAM VINCENT DAVEY, BENJAMIN FRANCIS DAVEY, GEORGIA KAITLYN DAVEY, ISABELLA MARIA ROSE DAVEY, JAMES DAVEY, JORDAN WILLIAM DAVEY, NICHOLAS LANCE DAVEY, PARIS ROSE DAVIDGE, BRADLEY STEVEN DAVIDGE, NICOLE ANNE DAVIDSON, BROOKE JAYDE DAVIDSON, CHARLIE JACK DAVIDSON, RACHAEL LOUISE DAVIS, ANNA KATHLEEN DAVIS, BARRY DAVIS, BENJAMIN DAVIS, BENJAMIN JOHN DAVIS, CAMILLE NANCY DAVIS, CHLOE DAVIS, ELIZABETH ROSE DAVIS, EMMA DAVIS, GLENN DAVIS, JANE DAVIS, JODIE AMBER DAVIS, KATE DAVIS, MAXWELL TERRY DAVIS, MICHAEL DAVIS, SIENNA DAVIS, STEPHEN CHARLES DAWKINS, ANDREW DAWKINS, MAREE DAWKINS, MATTHEW DAWKINS, SHANE DAWSON, JACK STUART DAY, ALASTAIR JOHN DE BOUCHERVILLE, AMBER JADE DE BOUCHERVILLE, JOEL GAETAN DE CHENE, JASMIN ZOE DE CHENE, JORJA ROSE DE GABRIELLE, ISAAC SALVATORE DE GABRIELLE, LACHLAN JAMES DE SILVA, JED DE SILVA, KEISHA DE VRIES, BETHANY JANE DEDMAN, DAVID CHRISTOPHER DEDMAN, MATTHEW GREGORY DEDMAN, MICHELLE JOY DEE, JONATHAN DEE, MATTHEW DEE, RACHEL DEERY, EAMONN FRANCIS DEERY, LINDA DEERY, WAYNE MICHAEL DELARUE, SIMONE NICOLE DELL ATTE, ISABELLA DELLATTE, VICTORIA DELOSA, A DELOSA, RACHEL CHRISTINE DELVECCHIO, ANGELINA SARA DELVES, TAO DEMKO, JAYDEN DEMKO, TAYLA ALIYAH DEMPSEY, RHORY ALEXANDER DOUGLAS DEMPSEY, RILEY PATRICK JOHN DENHAMWOOD, BRITTANY, DENNEHY KAI CHARLIE, DENNIS, ANNE MARIE DENNIS, JOSEPH EDWIN DENNIS, LUCIA DAISY DENNIS, MARITA DENNIS, SASKIA ZOE DENNY, TOM DENTON, BENJAMIN MARK DENTON, GRACE HOLLY DENTON, JACKSON MICHAEL, DENTON JOEL JOSEPH, DERBYSHIRE JORDAN PATRICK, DERES, GABRIELLE ROSALIND DESILVA, DALE DESILVA, DANIEL DESOUZA, EMILY DESOUZA, HAMISH DESOUZA, MEGAN DESSENT, KRISTINA MAREE DI BATTISTA, JULIA MARIA DIAMANTARAS, JASMINE DEMI DIAMANTARAS, MICHAEL DIAMOND, KERREN LOUISE DIBBS, HARRISON KENNETH DIBBS, SAMANTHA KATE DICKERSON, LUKE DENIS, DICKINSON ASHLEE, DICKINSON, JAMIE KATE DICKINSON, SAM BENJAMIN DICKSON, BENJAMIN DICKSON, JACK DICKSON, JAMES DIKE, AARON CHRISTOPHER DIKE, NICOLE FIONA DILUVIO, LISA DOROTHY DILUVIO, PAUL GRILIO DIMECH, ADAM DIMECH, OMAR DIMITRIOU, CHLOE DIMITRIOU, STEPHANIE DIMMOCK, JAYDE DIANE DIMMOCK, SHANE BRIAN DINNIE, CHARLOTTE ROSE DINNIE, JACOB MARTIN DIREEN, NATHAN WILLIAM DIREEN, REBECCA ANNE DIREEN, SAMANTHA JANE DIVINY, M DIXON, KARA MARGARET DIXON, MASON LAURENCE ALLAN DJAELANI, JACOB D’MELLO, JONATHAN JOSEPH D’MELLO, RYAN JOSEPH DOBBS, SEBASTIAN LUCAS BEREZOWSKI DODGE, JACK DOHERTY, JANE DOMINGUEZ, CHRISTINE DOMINGUEZ, DANIELLE DOMINGUEZ, JOHN MICHAEL DONLAN, KAREN DONNELLAN, CATHERINE LOUISE DONNELLAN, LEIGH DONNELLAN, PHILLIP JOHN DONOGHUE, BRIDGET DONOGHUE, JUDITH DONOGHUE, RACHEL DONOGHUE, SARAH DONOGHUE, TIMOTHY DONOVAN, DARCY THERESE DONOVAN, JACK PATRICK DORIAN, BAILEY JACK DORIAN, BRIAN DORIAN, CLARE MAREE DORIAN, ELIZABETH JANE DORIAN, JARVIS VICTOR DORIAN, LIANA JANE 144 DORIAN, LUCY MAJELLA DORIAN, LYNETTE DORIAN, PATRICK JAMES DORIAN, PETER DORMANS, CAROL DORNOM, BERNADETTE SARAH DORNOM, ELIZABETH DORNOM, HEATHER CATHERINE DORNOM, TIMOTHY THOMAS SAMUEL DOUGHERTY, ALISON ROSE DOUGHERTY, SAMUEL

One word, and why?

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Dennis Kuperus (Parent)

Chris Goodchild (Parent)

Family Orientated “They do a lot for Families; they include the families in the Church and the School.”

Fantastic “I just love how you come to pick your kids up and there seems to be hugs everywhere. Old people hugging the young kids, everyone seems so happy. It’s just a fantastic atmosphere.”

Jackie Kuperus (Parent)

Stephen Segota (Parent)

Innovative “They’re always starting new things and getting into new programs and thinking of new ways to do things.”

Brilliant “Their standards and education are terrific for the kids.”

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Gen Martin (Parent & Teacher)

Laurelle Marken (Parent)

Awesome & Sustainable “The opportunities they provide the kids for entering adult life are pretty amazing.”

Large “There are lots of kids!”

Natalee L’Huillier (Parent)

Craig Ingram (Parent)

Community & Happy

Family

“My daughter is in grade 2 and she loves coming to School. When she was about half way through prep she said to me ‘you know what mum, I think you’ve chosen a really good School for me to go to’. So we are really happy and everyone’s friendly.”

“They are pretty inclusive of Family here.”

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Naomi O’Connor (Parent)

Matthew Ilott (Parent)

Family “It is a family orientated School.”

Community “The School is very good at bringing all of the people from the area together with activities.”

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Parents helping with the Beauty Musical / 2012

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Some of our Leaders...

Ella McNair & Matthew Hannan

NAME:

NAME:

Matthew

Ella

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Grade 5 O N E WO R D : Confidence S TO RY: We’re always doing public speaking and presenting things... I got the lead role in the musical last year, that was probably my favourite memory.

Prep O N E WO R D : Encouragement S TO RY: You have your friends to encourage you when it is hard and teachers to encourage you to do better. My favourite memory is making new friends and going on exciting trips.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Laura Mitchell C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Prep O N E WO R D : Fantastic S TO RY: I feel we get a lot of opportunities at the school which include sport, art and leadership roles... A big part of our school is the sustainability precinct, that’s been great.

Eryn Sinclair

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Prep O N E WO R D : Welcoming S TO RY: There is a new girl in our class, I could tell from her face that she felt really welcomed because everyone said “Hi” to her.

Nicholas Gathercole C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Grade 4

O N E WO R D :

Crazy S TO RY: With my leadership this year, it’s been very busy and I know the school has developed and the Ipads are going crazy.

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Jacob Hickey

Sian Carlon-Garbutt

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Prep O N E WO R D : Community S TO RY: We’re all together and we are all friends here, we all get along... I really like the garden to kitchen, I think that is a really good spot for our school.

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Prep

O N E WO R D :

Friends S TO RY: We all know each other and we never really come across people who don’t really like each other. I like the animals in the garden, because I always go in the morning and help out with the goats, chickens, guinea pigs, bunnies and finches.

Rhys Gillard C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

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Grade 2 O N E WO R D : Role-modeling S TO RY: I had a few role models, they just were really good at leadership and I looked up to them... We are very fortunate to have all the opportunities they give us.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Jake Kovacs & Georgia Poulier

NAME:

NAME:

Jake

Georgia

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

O N E WO R D :

Prep O N E WO R D : Respectful S TO RY: We look after the environment and that shows with our whole sustainability precinct. My favourite memory was having a lead role in Alice in Wonderland and going on School camp to Phillip Island.

Respectful S TO RY: We are really respectful of other peoples belongings and if your respectful to someone, you’re honest to them. I loved the science fair and getting into the Lightning premiership soccer team.

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ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Ashlinn Reilly & Charlie O’Neill NAME:

Ashlinn O N E WO R D : Faithful, caring & compassionate S TO RY: We learn a lot about being compassionate about religion. I would probably say this would be a really good School to go to. I love the experience of School tours and getting feedback from the people I just toured.

I think having a friend is probably one of the best things in School.

NAME:

Charlie O N E WO R D : Amazing S TO RY: Because of how much it has grown from the start when they only had like 80 students all the way to now, they have over 750.

NAME:

Erica

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Prep O N E WO R D : Enthusiastic S TO RY: All the people here are so friendly loving and caring. All the teachers are really nice and help you, the environment here is the best.

Erica Hall + Rory Williamson 152

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Tyler Billing & Nicholas Holland NAME:

Nicholas

C A M E TO S T LO U I S: NAME:

Prep O N E WO R D : Awesome S TO RY: It’s a fun, safe and happy place to learn. I’m assuming all the students have a lot of fun with their learning and making friends.

Rory

C A M E TO S T LO U I S:

Prep O N E WO R D : Surprising + Collaborative S TO RY: When I started, I was surprised that the teachers were so supportive, so funny, so helping, so caring and so loving. Everybody works together and collaborates in tasks.

Everybody is happy and great.

NAME:

Tyler

C A M E TO S T LO U I S: O N E WO R D :

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Prep

Terrific S TO RY: It’s a first class education. Our School has all the top computers and we’ve got the best environmental precinct and a big oval.

ST LOUIS PRIMARY SCHOOL

TIME WITH

Tom Lindeman happy to share this vision with the interview panel, and able to convince the panel that I was up to the challenge of taking the school forward in this direction. Looking back it was a ‘pretty big ask’.

First Impressions Before I applied for the Principalship at St Louis, I visited one weekend to attend Mass and have a look around the school. The administration building at the front of the school was relatively new and the gardens were attractive and well maintained. As I went for a wander around the back of the school however, it was obvious that a lot of work was needed to improve the infrastructure and school grounds, most notably the student amenities. My research into the population growth patterns indicated that the school had great potential to grow, so I thought this would be a challenge as I could see an exciting vision for the school. I was

Initial Focus The first two things I focused on when starting in 2001 were the buildings and technology. The school had not really started its journey into technology so there was a real opportunity to setup a computer lab within the library. I was able to tackle two fronts by putting more resources into technology, as well as setting about building up book-stock and curriculum resources 154

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

managed centrally through the library. A key component of this was to upskill teachers to build their confidence and understanding of technology, particularly how it applied to their teaching and student learning. We had a wonderful consultant by the name of Anthony Houlihan who had an excellent model of team-teaching to pass on skills to teachers and students. This model worked really well for about 10 years. Today, of course, staff and students are far more proficient in using computers and a range of mobile devices - it’s a different world now.

Those early years provided an excellent platform for our staff today to effectively use technology in all aspects of teaching and learning.

Planning team into his office which started the ball rolling for a new building master plan to be developed.

We ended up receiving an $890,000 Grant and approval for a $1.3 million building program, which commenced in 2013. Over the past 15 years we have spent approx. $6.5 million on grounds and building development.

Leadership As the incoming Principal with a school of 420 students, I had the good fortune of being able to select half my staff as there was a turnover of 17 staff prior to my arrival. We were able to retain many experienced staff and also recruit a significant number of new staff. This allowed for new fresh thinking and approaches, whilst preserving the traditions and culture of the past. It was a wonderful position to be in as incoming principal. Key to this change in staff was implementing a new leadership structure and appointing a new Deputy Principal to help share the leadership role. As Deputy Principal, Paula Fernon has been a wonderful asset to this school, particularly in the areas of pastoral care and student welfare. I also appointed a new Literacy Coordinator and Religious Education Coordinator which provided the catalyst to initiate change in these areas of curriculum.

When I arrived at St Louis, there was an offer of a grant for $400,000 through the Catholic Capital Grants Program to build four additional classrooms.

An assessment of the situation identified that there were clearly other more important building priorities to address. I consequently set up a meeting with the Director of Catholic Education and armed myself with a projected growth analysis and outline of the infrastructure we actually needed to accommodate a growing school, including photographs of the dilapidated state of the student toilets. At the end of this meeting the Director summoned the Capital Grants

I am a big picture person and one of my strengths is

“My research into the population growth patterns indicated that the school had great potential to grow, so I thought this would be a challenge as I could see an exciting vision for the school.”

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“Relationships between teachers, students and parents underpin everything. The extent to which families are actively involved in the school develops a sense of belonging and promotes student connectedness with peers and the school community.� strategic planning in order to get things done. I have always been very conscious that my skills are best complimented by a suitably skilled Deputy Principal to provide a balance between management and pastoral care. My leadership focus is to build the capacity of others, to encourage them to upgrade their qualifications and support them with ongoing professional learning, and then to give them leadership opportunities where they can exercise both autonomy and accountability.

Excellence I have high standards and always aspire to excellence.

Schools exist for students. When making decisions, I always come back to what is in the best interests of the students. The school curriculum requires a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy, and then needs to be expanded to provide breadth and balance across other key learning areas. When I first came to St Louis I noticed a deficit in the Arts, so I have always tried to ensure that there is the right balance between languages, sport and arts. A broad and balanced curriculum enables students to experience a variety of subjects in order to identify their learning preferences and strengths.

Due to the rapid growth our school, I’ve always been conscious of supporting teachers in their day-to-day work with adequate release time, ongoing professional learning and promoting effective teamwork. The best way you can support teachers is to give them the direction and the resources they need to implement the curriculum.

We are a very busy school and the staff make every effort to provide a rich learning environment for our students. I often reflect on our hectic school calendar, however I just love seeing the students and families responding to all the activities and events we provide for them. St Louis is a large school community and this is demanding in terms of energy, which is a constant challenge. At the end of the day excellence is delivered through a commitment to ongoing school improvement and to the dedication and hard work of our staff.

An example of this is our Sustainability precinct and

Today our leadership structure has expanded to include the areas of religious education, student welfare, wellbeing and sustainability, literacy, numeracy, and interdisciplinary learning. This ensures the delivery of our core curriculum building blocks, and that a coordinated, balanced, broad and sequential curriculum is provided for all students, in order for them to become successful, lifelong learners.

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Sovereign Hill / 2015

Garden-to-Kitchen program, which has won numerous awards for its impact on the community and hands-onlearning for the students. We are indeed very fortunate to have so many outstanding people on staff and I am very proud of our collective achievements.

then enrolments will take care of themselves as parents will advertise our school by word of mouth and families will want to join our vibrant school community.

The Future I’m not getting any younger. I’ve been here 15 years and this year marks my 30th year as a Principal (half my life).

There are also many other senior staff and members of the leadership team who have been at St Louis for a long time, and we need to seriously consider succession planning to ensure continuous, strong and effective leadership into the future.

Keys to Success The school has a fantastic reputation in the local and wider community, which is well deserved. However the success of any school is not left to chance, but rather is based on careful attention to the key areas of leadership, school climate, relationships, teaching and learning, and Education in Faith. When all of these elements are working cohesively together, this leads to successful student outcomes.

We also need a certain level of resources to offer the programs that our students require in today’s contemporary world. We need to replace our portable classrooms with permanent buildings to provide more flexible learning spaces, and have been pursuing an ambitious plan to achieve this. We are currently negotiating for $4.6m funding to replace 14 of our modular classrooms.

Relationships between teachers, students and parents underpin everything. The extent to which families are actively involved in the school develops a sense of belonging and promotes student connectedness with peers and the school community. Higher levels of parent engagement are also linked to student outcomes, including improved attendance, academic achievement, engagement, attitude, behaviour, wellbeing, and positive homework habits.

St Louis has a proud history built on developing and maintaining a strong sense of community. The challenge for the future is to build on this tradition, while at the same time strengthening the connection between school and parish and consolidating our unique Catholic identity.

I believe if we maintain our focus on these areas outlined 157

2015

158

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DUFFY, DAVID DUFFY, JOHN DUFFY, PATRICIA ANN DUFFY, PHILLIP DUGGAN, LANCE DUKE, ARCHER JAMES DUMAS, DOMINIC LOUIS DUMAS, STEPHANIE LOUISE DUNCAN, DARCY MACKENZIE DUNCAN, ELLIOTT ROBERT DUNLEA, ETHAN DUNLEA, KALI SHANNON, DUNN DYLAN, DUNN, GLEN PHILLIP DUNN, JACK MICHAEL DUNN, LAUREN KATE DUNN, LUKE THOMAS DUNN, MATILDA MIA DUNN, NATHAN JAMES DUNSTAN, DEAN DUNSTAN, ERIN CLAIRE DUNSTAN, GRACE HANNAH DUNSTAN, JAMES DUNSTAN, KATE DUNSTAN, RENEE PATRICIA DUNSTER, ANGUS JOE DUNSTER, EWAN GIL DUSCHER, CASEY DWONCZYK, JODIE DWYER, KYLA ASHLEY DWYER, LAINEY JASMINE DWYER, MASON LUKE DYETT, RUBY MAE DYSON, BROOKE DYSON, LUKE ANDREW DYSON, MADELEINE ANNE EADE, KELSEY HELEN EASTON, MILES EASTON, STUART EATON, STEVEN EDDINGTON, JARROD THOMAS PATRICK EDDINGTON, LUKE MATTHEW EDDINGTON, MICHAEL RUSSELL EDDINGTON, TIMOTHY JOHN EDDY, BENJAMIN DAVID LOUIS EDDY, DOMINIC WILLIAM JAMES EDEN, MADDALYN ROSE EDEN, MOLLY ELOISE EDENS, ISAAK PATRICK MARK EDENS, TAHLIA MARIA JESSICA EDEN-SMITH, MAX HENRY EDEN-SMITH, MIA ALETIA EDEN-SMITH, RILEY MICHAEL EDIRISURIYA, NADINE EDIRISURIYA, NAOMI JACQUALINE EDWARDS, HARRY FINLAY EDWARDS, JACK MICHAEL EDWARDS, MAX ROBERT, EFREMIDIS ATHENA ELLEN, EFREMIDIS, JAMES THOMAS EFREMIDIS, KALLIN LEONARD EGAN, JOSHUA BAILEY BENDALL EGAN, PAUL MATTHEW EGGERT-WITTS, PATRICK RUSSELL ELBOURNE, HANNAH CHLOE ELBOURNE, JACOB ELDRED, CHRISTOPHER EUGENE, ELKINS ANDREW, JAMES ELLIOTT, BETHANY OLIVIA ELLIOTT, DARCY ANDREW ELLIOTT, JOSHUA EDWARD ELLIOTT, LARISSA MAY ELLIOTT, ROBERT WILLIAM ELMS, JESS DESMONDMICHAEL ELMS, MITCH ELMS, SHAE TERHSSA ELPHINGSTONE, KERRIANNE EMMETT, JAKE ANTHONY EMMETT, JORDAN JOHN EMSLEY, RACHEL ELIZABETH ENTICOTT, PHILLIP BRUCE, ENTWISTLE KIANDRA RAE, ENTWISTLE, TALYA ALEXIS ETTERIDGE, KRISTEN ETTRIDGE, DYLAN JOEL EVANS, ASHLEIGH LAURA EVANS, CALLUM LAWRENCE RUPERT EVANS, CHRISTOPHER EVANS, DAVID JOHN EVANS, JEFFREY ALLEN EVANS, NATHAN PAUL EVANS, NEIL JAMES EVANS, SAMUEL KENNETH FARAG, SANDRA FARAG, SYLVIA FARROW, JACOB SAMUEL FARROW, TESS LILY FAVAS, MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER FEATHER, JAMES FELIX, ALDYN BRENDAN FELIX, ALDYN BRENDAN FENECH, JESSE ANDREW FENECH, MADDISON LILY GRACE FENECH, NATHAN ANTHONY FERETZANIS, YIANNI FERGUSON, CAELEY LEA FERGUSON, JAMES FERGUSON, LISA MARGARET FERGUSON, MURRAY FERGUSON, NATHAN LUKE FERGUSON, RACHAEL ELIZABETH FERGUSON, SKYE AMBER FERNANDES, SONIA MARIE FERNANDES, SOPHIA MIRIAM FERNANDESZ, BRANDON MICHAEL, FERNANDO ADRIAN, FERNANDO, JEREMY ADRIAN FERNANDO, MELISSA FERNANDO, NELISSA FERRARO, ALYSHA GEORGIE FERRARO, AVA FERRARO, MAX JORDAN FIELD, KATRINA MAREE FIELD, OLIVIA KATHRYN FILDES, ANTHONY FILDES, CRAIG, FILIPESCU NICOLE, FIMISTER, ANDREW KIERAN FIMISTER, LEAH KATHRYN FIMISTER, MATTHEW JOHN FINACCHIARO, ANTHONY, FINLAYSON DONNA, FINLAYSON, SUZANNE FINN, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL FINN, JARED LIAM FINNACHIARO, SUSAN FIORE, JAMES WILLIAM FIORE, MICHAEL FABIAN FIORE, STEPHANIE LOUISE FIRMAN, BAILEY JAMES FIRMAN, EMMA JEAN FISHER, EMMA ELOIS FISHER, FARRAH JANINA FISHER, JAZ VIVIEENE FISHER, JOEL MICHAEL FISHER, LACHLANN DANIEL FISHER, MIRIAM ANNA FISHER, OSCAR FELIX FITZGERALD, DAVID FITZGERALD, TRUDI LYN FITZGIBBON, PAUL RAYMOND FLANNERY, JEANETTE, FLANNERY-DOYLE EMILY JANE, FLANNERY-DOYLE, LIAM JAMES FLAVELLE, CHARLOTTE MAY FLAVELLE, DYLAN ANTHONY FLAVELLE, HARRISON GLEN FLAVELLE, JACK THOMAS FLAVELLE, LEIGH FLAVELLE, MARK HENRY FLAVELLE, THOMAS GERARD FLAVELLE, WILLIAM TERENCE FLEMING, JANE TERESA FLEMING, SIMON PETERROBERT FLOOD, CHRISTOPHER RICHARD FLOREA, CHRISTOPHER JOHN FLOREA, DANIEL NOAH FOGGIE, INDIANA MILLA FOGGIE, SIENA CHARLI FONG, CHRISTOPHER FONG, MELISSA FONG, MICHAEL FONTI, BLAKE ROBERT FONTI, DEAN CARUSO FORBES, JACK FORBES, SAMUEL FRANCIS FORBES, SARAH FORD, DARCY NASH FORD, LAURA BEESIE FORD, THOMAS RICHARD FOSTER, BENJAMIN JAMES FOSTER, REBECCA MILLY FOSTER, THOMAS LACHLAN FOSTER-JOHNSON, DONOVAN FOTHERGILL, TIA LILY FOUNTAIN, DANIELLE LOUISE FOX, OSCAR SAMUEL FRAGALE, AVA BELLA FRANCIS, ABBEY ROSE FRANCIS, DANIEL FRANCIS, MATTHEW FRANCIS, RYAN MATTHEW, FRASER NICHOLAS JAMES, FRAY, JACKSON STEPHEN FREDRICKSON, ALEXANDRA MARY FREDRICKSON, GERARD ALAN, FREELAND TEGAN KAYE, FREEMAN, ALLANAH FREEMAN, CHLOE ELIZABETH FREEMAN, JACK HARRISON FRENCH, ELISE KATHERINE FRENCH, THOMAS WILLIAM FRIGHETTO, DANIELLE MAREE FRIGHETTO, MATTHEW JAMES FULLARD, JACINTA GABRIELLE, FULLARD MICHAEL, FULLER, ASHLEIGH JUNE FULLER, BLAKE FULLER, NATHAN JOHN FYANS, ANDREW RAYMOND FYANS, ELIZA MARY FYANS, KRISTEN LEE FYFE, MARK GABRYS, MONIKA EVE GABRYS, SZYMON DANIEL GAERTNER, STEVEN GAILEY, BRIGID ELIZABETH GAILEY, CATHERINE ELLEN GAILEY, SIOBHAN GALANTE, OLIVIA EVE GALLAGHER, ANDREW GALLAGHER, CORINNE GALLAGHER, JOHN ROBERT GALLAGHER, ROBERT EDWARD GALLAGHER, VICTORIA JANE GALLANT, AISLING GALLANT, CONOR GEORGE GAN, YING GAN, YUE GANNON, CONOR MARTIN GANTZOS, ALESSIA GANTZOS, ARKI CON GAO, SERENE GARCES, ALEXANDER RENE GARCES, MARCUS JOHN GARDINER, CALEB GARDINER, CAMPBELL EDWARD GARDINER, DANIEL JOSEPH GARDNER, DAVID GARDNER, JACQUELINE GARDNER, KATHRYN ANNE GARDNER, KATY GARDNER, MATTHEW GARDNER, SIMON GARLICK, DOROTHY ANN GARLICK, GERARD GARLICK, JENNIFER GARLICK, JOSHUA JASON GARLICK, OLIVIA ABBEY GARLICK, RHONDA GARLICK, ROSEMARY INEZ GARLICK, TIMOTHY JAMES GARTNER, DARYL GARTNER, LEA GARTNER, RALPH GATELY, BENJAMIN GATELY, DAVID FRANCIS GATELY, ELISSE ANN GATELY, TARA JANE GATHERCOLE, BENJAMIN JOHN GATHERCOLE, NICHOLAS GRAEME GAUCI, BRADLEY GAUCI, STEPHANIE GAVIGAN, JACQUELINE SARAH GAVIGAN, RORY GAY, DAMON PETER GAY, PRIYA SAMANTHA GEBBING, BROOKE GEISLER, BENJAMIN DANIEL GEISLER, SAM JAMES GEISLER, TOM WILLIAM GELLIE, CAITLIN MARY GELLIE, PATRICK JAMES GELLIE, THOMAS ANDREW GEORGE, GISELLE KATHLEEN ANTOINETTE, GEORGIOU ALEXANDER, GEORGIOU, EVE GEORGIOU, GRACE GEORGIOU, MATTHEW GEORGIOU, NICHOLAS ALEXANDER, GERTNER DAVID, GERTNER, ELIZABETH ANN GERZEE, MARKUS GEYLE, WILLIAM RYAN GIARRUSSO, CHLOE SAMANTHA GIARRUSSO, JACK MATTHEW GIARRUSSO, JAMIE LEIGH GIARRUSSO, MICHAEL JAMES GIBSON, ALEXANDER THOMAS GIBSON, EDWARD FREDERICK GIBSON, NOAH PATRICK GIBSON, OLIVER MATTHEW EMIDIO GIBSON, PARIS GIBSON, SAMUEL VERNON, GIDEON RACHAEL, GILBERT, AMY KAREN GILBERT, BENJAMIN GILBERT, JOCELYN MAREE GILBERT, LUKE MICHAEL, GILL IMOGEN, GILL DAMIAN, GILL, ELIZABETH MARIETHERESE, GILL, EMILEY , GILL, JACK WILLIAM, GILL, JOHN GERARD GILL, MADELINE FAITH, GILL, SIMON, GILLARD, AUSTEN, GILLARD, RHYS THOMAS, GILLARD, TOM DAVID, GILLEN, DAMIEN , GILLEN, GLENN JAMES, GILLEY, BRIDGETTE MAREE, GILLEY, CHARLOTTE JANE, GILLEY, JOHN RAY, GILLIS, HAMISH GALVIN, GILLMAN, SAVANA, GIOSSERANO, COURTNEY LOUISE, GIOSSERANO, NATHAN JAMES, GIRI, WILLIAM JACK, GIRISH, RAMYA , GIRISH, SMITHA, GLEADELL, WILLIAM PATRICK, GLENISTER, DANIEL JAMES, GLENISTER, WILLIAM ROY, GODBY, MONIQUE, GOLUBOV, DEJAN, GOLUBOV, VIVIAN, GOMEZ, CHRISTOPHER PETER, GOMEZ, PETER COLIN, GOMULARZ, ZACH, GOMULARZ, ZANE IZZY, GONCALVES DANIEL LUIS, GONCALVES, NICHOLAS ALEXANDRE, GOODCHILD, AMY MARGARET, GOODCHILD, REBECCA LOUISE, GOODES BENJAMIN ASHLEY, GOODES, JESSICA EMILY, GOODFELLOW, JAMES ANDREW, GOODFELLOW, SINEAD VALERIE, GOODHEW, SOPHIA, GOODMAN, ALEXANDER PAUL, GOODMAN, EMILY SHENAE, GORDON, DAVID, GORDON, JASPER ANGUS, GORE TARYN JEANETTE, GOROZIDIS, GREGORY, GOROZIDIS, PENNY, GOROZIDIS, SIMON, GOROZIDIS, VIRGINIA GOULDEN, ALAN PETER, GOULDEN, KATE, GOULDEN, MICHAEL DAVID, GOULIS, DARCY ALEXANDER, GRAHAM, DAVID, GRAHAM, KIRI ANNE, GRAHAM MADISON VAIL, GRAHAM, MICHAEL JOSEPH, GRAHAM, REGAN AMANDA, GRANT, LACHLAN TRUEMAN, GRASSO, ADRIAN, GRASSO, MICHAEL, GRAY, ALICIA, GRAY, BELINDA GAY, GRAY, JORDYN ELISE, GRAY, KYLE STEFAN, GRAY, SEAN GRAY, STEVEN, GRECH, ANDREW PHILLIP, GRECH, BIANCA JAYDE, GRECH, CATHY, GRECH, MATTHEW THOMAS, GRECH, ROGER , GREENHATCH, JARROD DANIEL, GREENHATCH, JESSICA CLARE, GREENWELL, KIMBERELY ANNE, GREENWELL, LUKE JOHN,GREENWOOD, ANNA RACHEL, GREENWOOD, AYESHA ROSE, GREGG, COBY DEAN, GREGG, DANIEL JOEL, GREGORIO, CAITLIN JANE, GREGORIO DANIEL JAMES, GREGORIO, MADISON CLAIRE, GREIG, ASHLEIGH ROSE, GREIG, LUCY JADE, GREIG, MEGAN, HILDA, GRIBBEN KEIRA JUNE, GRIBBEN, SEAN PATRICK, GRIFFIN, KIMBERLEY JADE, GRIFFIN, TRISTAN JACK, GRUSAUSKAS, ADAM, GUILLOT, CALLUM CODY, GUILLOT, MADISON TEAH, GUILLOT, TANAMI MIA, GURNETT, BENJAMIN, GUSTKE, MITCHELL ANDREW GUSTKE, NATASHA LOUISE, GWYNNE, ETHAN WILLIAM, GWYNNE, KIARA JENNIFER, GWYNNE, REMI SAMUEL, HACKING, JENNIFER MARY, HALE CHANTELLE LOUISE, HALE, JAMES FRANCIS, HALE, MATTHEW CHARLES, HALE, REBECCA SIMONE, HALL, BENJAMIN GEOFFREY, HALL, ERICA DOROTHY, HALL, ETHAN JOHN, HALL, NATHAN THOMAS, HALL, REMEE GRACE, HALL, SAMUEL HALL, SARA MARY PHYLLIS, HALLIDAY, SARAH DIANA, HALLINAN, DALE, HALLINAN, LEIGH, HALLINAN, SHANI MAREE, HAMBROOK, STEPHEN, HAMILTON, TYLER JAMES, HAMRIDING, ZOE, HAND, JAMES, HAND, JESSICA, HAND, MADELINE ELISE, HANDLEY, LAURA, HANNAKER, BEN MITCHELL, HANNAKER, LAUREN VERONICA, HANNAKER, ZACHARY JOHN, HANNAN, ASHLEE LYNN, HANNAN BENJAMIN DAVID, HANNAN, MATTHEW COLIN, HANNAN, REBECCA PATRICIA, HARDHAM, 160 AMANDA ELIZABETH, HARDHAM, CATHERINE JANE, HARDHAM, SHARON MAREE ANDREW, JAMES ELLIOTT, BETHANY OLIVIA ELLIOTT, DARCY ANDREW ELLIOTT, JOSHUA EDWARD ELLIOTT, LARISSA MAY ELLIOTT, ROBERT WILLIAM ELMS, JESS DESMONDMICHAEL ELMS,

How we celebrated our fifty years

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Students / March 2015

BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE 60S DAY WITH PAST LEGENDS & HEROES

Tuesday 3rd March, 2015

Wednesday 4th March, 2015

SOVEREIGN HILL

TWILIGHT SCHOOL DAY

Thursday 5th March, 2015

PARISH FEAST DAY MASS

Sunday 19th April, 2015

SCHOOL FEAST DAY MASS & BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

Tuesday 28th April, 2015

Garden to Kitchen / 2015

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book would not have been made possible without the people from our wonderful community. Special thanks go to those people who volunteered their time to appear in this book and provide their reflections, memories and details of how they personally and collectively contributed to the parish, school and community.

A huge thank you is extended to the steering committee who have helped develop the structure, methodology, content and flow of not only this book, but also the special celebratory events that have marked this our 50th year.

To the staff and volunteers who gave up their valuable time to help plan, identify and connect with our community and oversee the 50th anniversary activities and celebrations which provided the opportunity for this book content to be captured. Their time, effort and dedication is not only appreciated but indeed the hallmark of what makes this community so special.

We would also like to acknowledge the team from ‘Book in a Day’ whose professionalism and unique expertise have captured and produced the St Louis story, as told by the community who made it.

Finally to our students, parishioners, parents and alumni, you are what this book is about. It is written by you, for you, through you. Enjoy, thank you and god bless.

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Celebrating 50 years of Faith, Learning & Life