From the Senior Years
This week was a significant milestone in the St Aloysius College history with the opening of the Altiora Senior campus.
The excitement was high, with students eager to use the new spaces. There is something enticing about the ‘box fresh’ smell of new pain, carpet and desks. The campus is an outstanding facility. I hope some of the images capture a sense of the new space.
This occasion was marked on Tuesday 14 August with the official unveiling of the First Nations’ artist Emma Bamblett’s painting The Unveiling of the Light which is situated on Level 4 in the Gonzaga room. Year 12 students share an important connection to Emma who facilitated one of their Year 12 Retreat sessions on First Nations art, spirituality and connection to Country. The artwork, shown above in the photograph, is an important piece that connects the Mercy story to that of First Nations peoples, on whose lands the Altiora campus stands.
It has been really rewarding to see how students have adapted to the new spaces. For Year 11 students in particular, the shift of mindset has been immediate. And it is fascinating to see how the design of spaces has confirmed that the space invites focus, independence and a calm approach to learning. I have noticed students using the informal study spaces very well before school and at times during the lunch breaks, as well as teachers using the breakout areas to maximise high impact small group student learning that was not as easily available on the main campus. At Altiora it is seamless.
For Year 12 students there was a mix of emotions in navigating the change and transition to Altiora. Speaking with College co-captain Fadzai Bako, she explained how there were mixed emotions of “leaving” the Main Campus and arriving at Altiora.
A reflection that I had on the Year 12 experience is that the move has perhaps foreshadowed the natural feeling Year 12 students have about the impending ‘end of an era’ of their formal schooling. This is a natural feeling for Year 12 students. They may well miss their former campus. And while Year 11 feeling of pure excitement in accessing the Level 1 Commons kitchen, the Year 12 feeling is more contemplative.
We are still very much in the initial phase of settling into the new building with lots to trouble shoot, identify and refine and I am grateful to students for their patience with so many minor refinements to co-ordinate through property maintenance and IT. These are natural and to be expected. What I would say is the speed in resolving these is amazing and a team effort. I know that I speak for students in thanking all staff.
The student Commons on Level 1 is the beating heart of the new building and, for students, is an outstanding amenity.
Tom Crowle
Senior Years Leader