A NEW learning space at St Joseph’s School Renmark was officially opened and blessed recently by the newly appointed Port Pirie Diocese bishop at a liturgy and ceremony.
Bishop Karol Kulczycki and Catholic Education Diocese of Port Pirie director Nichii Mardon joined the St Joseph’s School Renmark school community on Friday, March 19, at its new Tenison Woods Centre.
St Joseph’s School Renmark assistant principal: religious identity and mission (APRIM) and inclusive education co-ordinator Michael Slagter said the school was “excited” to welcome the special visitors.
“We were definitely excited to welcome Bishop Karol and Nichii to our school,” he said.
“Opening a new facility at the school was wonderful and to have the Bishop of the Port Pirie Diocese and the director of Catholic education for the Port Pirie Diocese join us was incredible.”
Mr Slagter said the new centre can be used for a range of subjects.
“It is designed as a multi-purpose room, with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths),” he said.
“We have visual arts lessons in one half each week, and the other side is used for technology and language lessons as well.”
Mr Slagter said the building has “many features”.
“The building has a commercial kitchen in one side, and an open space in the other,” he said.
“It can be opened up to be a large room for performances and visitors, as well as fit two separate classes at a time in individual lessons.
“We have a green screen installed and hope to teach students how to use this as part of media tech lessons.
“The students are already making great use of the space and love the opportunities that it creates.
“We have already had families and chefs join us to help with food tech lessons and food preparation.
“Having a building with so many possibilities means we have a great resource going forward.”
Mr Slagter said the building was named after a strong Catholic figure.
“We named the building after Father Julian Tenison Woods, who along with St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, founded the Sisters of St Joseph – the order who founded our school in 1919,” he said.
“He later became the first director of Catholic education in Australia.
“He had a great love for science and the arts, working for three years as a scientist in Malaysia, Borneo, Hong Kong, Japan, on Royal Navy survey vessels and in the Northern Territory.”
Mr Slagter said the school is slowly expanding.
“We have recently bought the block next door to the school and are busy preparing this for a new classroom,” he said.
“With our enrolments steadily increasing, we need to make sure that we have great learning spaces around the school that cater for all of our students.”