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AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:07 Page 2 AQUINASDIOCESAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL PROSPECTUS EE BIL R JU SILVE AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:08 Page 3 With One Voice Year 14 Theatre Studies rehearsing The Importance of Being Earnest Front cover picture: Year 11 Irish students enjoying class AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 11:17 Page 4 SILVER JUBILEE THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE VERITAS LIBERABIT AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 11:17 Page 5 Welcome • Fáilte Bonjour • Bienvenido We hope that you enjoy reading this prospectus andthatitgivesyouarealflavourofwhatlifeislikeinourschool. We are a welcoming, inclusive school whose aim is to provide opportunities for all our pupils, enabling them to realise their true potential, academically, socially, spiritually and personally. We seek to foster a spirit of respect and understanding in each child in an environment which in turn is secure, supportive and caring; in which our pupils feel valued and esteemed. As a school of 800 pupils divided into four houses, we believe our size and structure, helps us to develop as a close family community where students from different year groups are able to work together and support each other in many aspects of their learning, particularly in extra-curricular activity. We are a learning school where the learning experience is effective, enjoyable and empowering and where our students are encouraged and supported to aim high and to work hard. We provide many opportunities outside normal class time to enrich the whole learning experience, enabling them to go out into the world as confident, mature young men and women, well prepared for all the challenges of the 21st century. We are committed to working in partnership with our parents, constantly aware of the value of their support and the importance of their role. We have state of the art ICT facilities to support learning and sporting facilities second to none. We pride ourselves on the excellent staff-student relationships and on the effectiveness of our Pastoral Care provision for students As a Catholic school we work to build upon the values of family and home to foster a strong sense of faith in our pupils. Above all we are a school which recognises the uniqueness of each child, the wonder of each child and their potential for greatness. We certainly see it as a privilege to be entrusted with the education of all the boys and girls who come here. We strive to provide a truly Aquinas education; an education and experience that will support your child throughout their future lives. Learning through ... I thank you for taking the time to read through our prospectus. We hope it gives you a small insight into the life of our school and some of the activities and opportunities that we provide for our pupils. As you visit our school and meet our students, I am sure the young boys and girls you encounter will be role models of the values you hope for in your own child. I hope you will feel confident in choosing Aquinas for your child for the next seven years of their education. Mr Barry Kelly Principal 1 AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 11:18 Page 6 SILVER JUBILEE ...to realise true potential, academically, spiritually and personally... ...Irish ...French ... ...and Spanish 2 AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:26 Page 7 25th Anniversary 1993-2018 Old Aquinas building, 1993 – 2003 Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School opened the doors to its first 110 pupils in September 1993 with Mr Finbarr McCallion as Principal. During the late eighties and early nineties, it was clear from the demographics of South Belfast that there was an ever increasing Catholic population, yet a dearth of Catholic schools to cope with the numbers. For that reason, Monsignor Thomas Bartley, on behalf of Bishop Patrick Walsh, campaigned vigorously with the Minister and Department of Education to gain permission for the building of a new Catholic Grammar School in South Belfast. In 1992, after many meetings, letters and phone calls, the Department finally granted permission for the new school with ten teachers and 110 boys and girls with a proposed First Principal Mr McCallion (1993-99) with First opening date of September 1994. However, Bishop Walsh and Monsignor Bartley were Headboy, Sean McGrattan and Headgirl, Kirsty Gordon determined to open in September 1993. Many remember Mr McCallion, the newly Monsignor Bartley, appointed Principal, speaking from every church pulpit within the catchment area, co-founder of Aquinas encouraging the parents of P6 and P7 pupils to consider the new Aquinas for their child’s post-primary education. Rather than choose a ‘greenfield site’, which would have delayed the opening, the new school took possession of the derelict building that was the former St Augustine’s Boys’ Secondary School, which had amalgamated with St Monica’s Girls’ Secondary’ in June 1992, forming St Joseph’s College. On the 1st September 1993, a year earlier than planned and with the paint still wet on the walls, Mr Finbarr McCallion, Principal, Mr Michael McClean, Vice Principal and Science teacher; Mrs Diana Press, Senior Teacher and Head of English; Mrs Fionnuala Clarke, Mathematics and Science; Miss Patricia Cunningham, Art and Technology; Mrs Julia Dolan, French, German and History; Mr Paul Evans, PE, RE, English and History; Father Colin Grant, RE, Music and History; The founding Mrs Sasha Lambon, French and German; Mrs Marie teachers c.1997/98: (L to R: McCool, PE and Geography and 110 pupils began life M. McCool, in the fourth Diocesan College of the Diocese of M. McClean, Down and Connor. P. Cunningham, S. Lambon, D. Press, The staff and pupils finally moved into their new F. Clarke, J. Dolan, building in January 2003, with Mr Michael McClean F. McCallion, P. Evans, C. Grant) now as Principal, Mr McCallion having retired in June 1999. The school has gone from strength to strength over the years, becoming firmly rooted in the South Eastern Belfast community with Mrs Diana Press becoming Principal from June 2006 to June 2010, Mrs Geraldine Gibson from 2010 to 2011 and from then to the present day, Mr Barry Kelly. The five Principals of Aquinas: Finbarr, McCallion (1992-99), Michael McClean (1999-2006), Diana Press (2006-10), Geraldine Gibson (2010-11), Barry Kelly (2011 to present) 3 AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:18 Page 8 SILVER JUBILEE Some of the first students, September 1993: Brian Gibson, Claire Gibson, Seaneen Sloan, Leontia Haldenby, Carol Taylor and Ronan Watson First intake, 1993 in “The Quad” at breaktime Third Principal, Mrs Press (1993-2010) picture taken c.1995 New building during construction Mr McClean, second Principal (1999-2006) Bishop Walsh at the formal opening of the school building,Tuesday 28th January, 2003 with Headboy Patrick Smyth and Deputy Headboy Sean McGoldrick 4 AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:20 Page 9 Roland De Boer, 1993 Mr Kelly at Careers 1993-2018 in pictures Convention, 2016 Drama class Fundraising: Macmillan Coffee Morning First pupils at break, 1993 Mr McClean fixing a computer Mr Brady Head of History with Mrs Lambon, Mrs Press (1994-2005) and Mr Devlin, and Mrs Dolan c1993 Prize da Senior Teacher (1995 – 2012) main pr who w Fundraising for Women’s Cancer Charity Shakespeare Festival c.1998 Prize day with Mrs Dolan (Senior teacher, 1993-2012) and Gavin McNeill Sports Day c.2009 Sports Day, c.2008 Mass to mark the opening of the school year, 2016 Mabeth’s three witches, Shakespeare Festival Fundraising, 2013 Mr McNeill, Senior teacher (1994-2012) during Sports Day Shakespeare Festival, 1994 Rev Ken Newell, Presbyterian Moderator addressing sixth form Mrs O'Brien (HOD Technology), past pupil Vincent Murray (QUB Student of theYear Sports Day c.2009 5 Natalie Eastwood 2010), Mrs Gibson (interim Principal 2010- and Fionnuala Rooney, 11) and Mr Duffy (HOD Physics) Prizeday AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:22 Page 10 PE Trip to USA, 2000 SILVER JUBILEE Shakespeare Festival, 1999 Dr Dowling VP (Curricular) picture c. 1995 KS3 Prizegiving 2011 Prize day with Mr McClean (Principal 1999-2006), main prize winners and Ciara Dowling who won the overall award. c.2001 Mary Wilson (Supremes) with Matthew McCrudden, Aoife Maguire, Maeve Cleary and Niamh McCrossan, Careers Convention, 2014 Hello Dolly, 2005 Ladies’ Gaelic Football team , 2006 Ski Trip, Axamer Lizum, 2008 with Mr Dobbin (VP,2010-2014) and Mrs McCool (Head of PE) Senior Soccer team, 2004 Sports Day c.2007 Mr Leneghan (Senior Teacher), Mr McDaid (now chair of Governors) and Nick McDaid at QUB Climbing Wall during a fundraiser in 2007 6 AQUINAS PROSPECTUS master:Layout 1 05/01/2017 18:22 Page 11 Faith in Action Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School is a Catholic school open and welcoming to people of other faiths and none... Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School has as its Patron Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Dominican friar who lived between 1225 and 1274 and who is acknowledged as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in Faith in Action the Scholastic tradition to have ever lived. A Doctor of the Church, Pope Leo XIII declared him in 1880 to be the Patron Saint of all Catholic universities, colleges and schools. Faith in Action In Aquinas we wish our pupils to share that love of learning with their patron St Thomas, but even more importantly, we wish them to share his love of God and holiness of life. As a Catholic school we believe in the importance of daily prayer both in the classroom and in the more formal setting of our school chapel, where we celebrate the seasons and feast days of the Church year through liturgies including Class andYear Group Masses on the First Fridays of the terms.