St Gregory’s College Campbelltown has announced that after 90 years as a Catholic high school for boys, it will expand to offer primary school education for boys and girls.
According to the current headmaster, Mr Damien Millar, who informed parents of the news in a letter dated February 3, the new primary school will start running classes in 2018.
St Gregory’s College is famous for being one of the greatest rugby league nurseries in the country as well as for its incredibly successful annual fundraising dinner.
But since it was opened by the Marist Brothers in 1926 as a Catholic secondary day and boarding agricultural school it was only for boys.
It currently has 1,100 students enrolled and a staff of more than 152.
In his letter to parents, Mr Millar says there is demand for Catholic primary school education in the area.
“The reason St Gregory’s will offer schooling for primary age children is to meet the increased demand for Catholic education in nearby quickly growing new suburbs and recently developed Gregory Hills,’’ Mr Millar said.
According to the letter the Diocese has been considering the introduction of primary schooling at St Greg’s for some time.
Mr Millar told parents the need for primary schooling at St Greg’s “has been the subject of close consultation with Bishop Peter [Ingham] and Mr Peter Turner from the Wollongong Diocese over the past few years.
“Brother Michael Green, National Director of Marist Schools Australia is pleased to announce that St Gregory’s College will have a Primary Department opened on the College site in 2018,’’ Mr Millar said in the letter.
The new facility will provide Catholic education for boys and girls from kindergarten to Year 6.
The Primary Department will be an integral part of the College and work in close liaison with the Parish of Saint Mary McKillop, Oran Park and other surrounding parishes.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“In 2018 it is expected the Primary Department will commence with two streams and will be located on the college site to the north of the rugby league fields,’’ Mr Millar said in the letter.[/social_quote]
He said a steering committee will be established tasked with the planning and preparation for the new department.
A new head of Primary will be appointed in 2017, while the timelines will be on the college website and regularly updated.
“Since commencing as headmaster of St Gregory’s College, people have frequently raised the possibility of the establishment of a Primary Department,’’ Mr Millar said.
“I know that this announcement will be met with great excitement, especially for the people from the Gregory Hills side of the Macarthur region, as the western access road into the college will be in operation by 2017.’’
