History:
The Catholic parish community of St Anthony’s, Noble Park, proudly embraces cultural diversity. In its 46-year history the majority of families of the parish have been migrant families. In the 1950s and 1960s European families, especially Italian families, made Noble Park their home. Families from India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and South America followed and were welcomed. More recently Indo-Chinese families have added to the continually changing suburb.
St Anthony’s School has always been a very important part of the parish. The histories of the parish and the school are intertwined. The school opened in February 1955, a year before Noble Park became a separate parish from Springvale.
Throughout its history the people of St Anthony’s parish community have maintained as one of their key aims the provision of a quality Catholic education for their children. To this end the parish has been very generous in providing the buildings, grounds and a school bus.
Description:
St Anthony’s is a culturally diverse school and proud of it. Our students come from Chile, China, Croatia, Germany, India, Iraq, Mexico, the Middle East, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Yugoslav Republic and Vietnam. The main languages spoken by our students at home are English, Vietnamese, Spanish, Polish and Chinese. Other languages include Arabic, Armenian, Croatian, Filipino, French, Greek, Hungarian, Korean, Portuguese, Singhalese and Samoan. The maintenance of the first language is encouraged at our school.
The main purpose of St Anthony’s School is to provide a Catholic education for its young parishioners. The school strives to provide a Christian environment; to teach and reinforce Catholic beliefs and practices; to be a happy and safe place where children learn; to provide caring discipline; to give students a well-rounded education; and to help students to successfully take their place in society.
Information about enrolment, including priorities for acceptance of applications, is available on the school website (see above).
Features:
Specialist areas of teaching are: Library, Physical Education, LOTE (Years 3–6), Visual Arts and Performing Arts (Years P–2).
Special support programs include:
• The Children's Literacy Success Strategy (CLaSS) (Prep–Year 2)
• Building Literacy (Years 3–4)
• A Reading Recovery program (Year 1)
• Sacramental programs (Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation)
• Information Technology studies (Prep–Year 6)
• Integration programs for children with special needs
• Seasons (a peer grief support group)
• Swimming programs (Prep–Year 6)
• Outdoor Education camps (Years 5 & 6)
• Inter-school sports (Year 6)
• Music (after-school lessons)
• A peer support program, titled ‘Buddies’
• A Before- and After-school Care Program (7 to 9am and 3.15 to 6 pm).
* New and Recent Arrivals Program for recently arrived students from non-English-speaking backgrounds