Penola Catholic College facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Penola Catholic College |
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| Location | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, co-ed, Catholic school, day school |
| Established | 1995 |
| Principal | Ms. Tracey Kift |
| Campuses | Broadmeadows (Senior/Main campus) and Glenroy (Junior Campus) |
| Colour(s) | Maroon, gold & blue |
Penola Catholic College, often called PCC, is a school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's a co-educational secondary college, meaning both boys and girls attend. The school's special patron saint is Saint Mary MacKillop.
Penola Catholic College has two main locations. Younger students in Years 7 and 8 go to the junior campus in Glenroy. Older students, from Years 9 to 12, attend the main campus in Broadmeadows.
The college was formed in 1995. It was created by joining three other Catholic secondary schools: Therry College, Geoghegan College, and Sancta Sophia College. The main campus in Broadmeadows is now on the land where Therry and Geoghegan Colleges used to be. The junior campus in Glenroy is on the original site of Sancta Sophia College.
Penola Catholic College is also a member of the Sports Association of Catholic Co-educational Secondary Schools (SACCSS). This means it takes part in sports with other similar schools.
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College Emblem and Its Meaning
The emblem of Penola Catholic College has a special design. It features three leaves, which stand for three important things: spiritual growth, physical growth, and intellectual growth. These leaves also represent the three schools that came together to form Penola Catholic College.
The trunk of the tree in the emblem is shown as a cross. This reminds everyone of the life of Christ, which is a guide for students and staff. The tree itself is a nod to the Aboriginal origins of the name Penola, which means "stringybark."
Around the emblem, you will see three words: Faith, Excellence, and Community. These words are the main ideas and values that the school is built upon.
Why the Name Penola?
The name Penola Catholic College was chosen for a good reason. The main campus in Broadmeadows has a strong connection to Saint Mary MacKillop. In 1901, the Sisters of St Joseph, an order she co-founded, started a home on this very site.
Penola is a small town in South Australia. It's where Mary MacKillop opened her very first school in 1866. There, she and Julian Tenison Woods founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. The Sisters of St Joseph helped the local community and lived on the Broadmeadows site until the late 1980s.
House System at Penola
Penola Catholic College uses a house system. This means students are divided into six different groups, called houses, for their time at the school. Students earn points for their house by taking part in various activities. These activities include sports, debating, and other extra-curricular events.
The six house groups are:
- Mackillop: This house is named after Mary MacKillop, who is the college's patron saint. Its colour is orange.
- Nolan: Named after Sister Livinus Nolan, who was a long-serving Catholic school educator in Victoria. She was also a member of the Sisters of St Joseph. Nolan's colour is purple.
- Geoghegan: This house is named after one of the three colleges that joined to form Penola Catholic College. Its colour is green.
- Smyth: Named after Thomas Smyth, who was the first Principal of Penola Catholic College. The colour for Smyth house is blue.
- Therry: This house is also named after one of the three colleges that combined to create the school. Its colour is gold.
- Sancta Sophia: Named after another one of the three colleges that merged to form the college. The colour for Sancta Sophia is red.
Notable Former Students
Many students have attended Penola Catholic College over the years. Some have gone on to achieve great things. Here are a few notable former students:
- David Rodan
- Adrian Zahra
- Jeremy Synot
- Eziyoda Magbegor
