Principal’s Message
Welcome to Marist Catholic College Penshurst,
A Year 7–12 co-educational Catholic systemic school in the Archdiocese of Sydney. It offers young women and men the environment and opportunities to achieve personal excellence in all areas of school life and beyond. Our approach to education is embodied in the College motto ‘Agnoscere Et Diligere’ which means ‘To Know and Love’.
OUR FAITH AND PASTORAL CARE
Marist Penshurst is first and foremost a Catholic school that has the Gospel at its heart, encouraging students to respond to it with the same faith and generosity expounded by Mary. We practice our faith and strive to live it daily in the way we treat each other, the way we learn and through our social justice programs and outreach service to the community.
Marist Penshurst is a place where all are welcome, valued, known and supported. Our pastoral care for each student is vital to ensuring the wellbeing essential for good learning. As a community, we support one another and nurture growth as we build on each student’s strengths. We aim to foster in our students an empathy with others as well as the self-confidence and drive to transform their world and the world of those around them.
OUR LEARNING PHILOSOPHY
Our vision for learning, ‘Aspire to be Inspired’, animates and empowers all members of our community to hope and dream. It places a strong emphasis on academic achievement and seeking constant improvement in a safe and caring learning environment. The extensive co-curricular program provides students with opportunities in sport, music, debating, public speaking and a vast range of cultural activities.
OUR FACILITIES
Our contemporary learning spaces and facilities, after the 2021 completion of a seven stage building upgrade, include a multi-functional space that serves as both a hall and a state-of-the-art NBA (National Basketball Association) style playing surface. As well, our school hosts performance spaces with music, art and dance studios including a drama theatre, commercial kitchens, science laboratories and TAS workshops. We also have ample playground spaces for all students with dedicated PDHPE facilities on-site. Our excellent teachers, high quality resources and a caring environment, combine to provide the young women and men with a College that enables the challenge and growth necessary for 21st century learners.
OUR INVITATION
I invite you to view our website to discover the dynamic and diverse learning environment available to our students as well as the spirit and atmosphere that permeates the College and makes Marist Catholic College Penshurst unique.
Let us share with you the lifelong difference that a Marist Penshurst education can make to your daughter or son. The staff, students and parents look forward to welcoming you.
Mrs Connie Frino
College Principal
History
The College was established, at the urging of Father Joseph Breen, the Parish Priest of St Declan’s, as Marist Brothers Penshurst in 1953 when Kogarah Marist could no longer accommodate the boys from the Penshurst area. Three Marist Brothers, Brother Leopold Smith, the first Director, Brother Basil and Brother Sixtus formed the first community and opened a Fourth Class to Sixth Class Primary School with 160 boys in three classes. The school was re-named Penshurst Marist High in the early 1980s, then as Marist College Penshurst in 1997 before becoming Marist Catholic College Penshurst in 2015.
The first secondary class started in 1954 and in 1956 the school presented its first candidates for the Intermediate Certificate. With the introduction of the Wyndham Scheme the school presented its first candidates for the School Certificate in 1965. Primary classes concluded at the end of 1993 and the College remained a Year 7-10 boys school until the end of 2014. The enrolment of the College during this time varied with a maximum enrolment of approximately 500 students.
The Brothers’ community was withdrawn from the school at the end of 1980, though the school continued to be run by a Marist Brother until 2005. In 2006 Mr. Tony Duncan was appointed as the first lay Principal and marked the end of 53 years of Marist leadership at the College. However, the Marist spirit and legacy continued to be nurtured and valued.
The year 2015 was significant for Marist College Penshurst as it became a Year 7–12 co-educational school, with girls commencing in Year 7 and the first Year 11 classes began. It changed its name to Marist Catholic College Penshurst, with a new crest and school uniform being introduced. To accommodate these changes an extensive building program was undertaken. In 2020, the College became a dual campus school using the existing Mortdale site and a new site in South Hurstville. It also had its first coeducational group graduate from the College. In 2021, the College had an enrolment of 1100 students.
Mission
Our College holds the Gospel of Jesus Christ at its heart. As a Catholic community, we seek to live out our response to the Gospel with the same faith, hope and love as Mary, the Mother of God. Our Marian approach is to nurture, to teach, to gather, to reconcile and to stand with our students. Our approach to education is embodied in the College motto: Agnoscere et Diligere – To Know And To Love. Our mission calls us to seek the truth, know deeply and love intimately: God, oneself and other people.
The Archbishop’s Charter
The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic schools outlines the mission and purpose of Catholic schools in its introduction…
“CATHOLIC SCHOOLS have a unique role in the evangelising and educating mission of the Church.”
The Charter has eleven tenants that Catholic schools are called to enliven. The first of these is to:
[1] Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools“Give witness to their distinctive educational, spiritual, moral and social purposes within the evangelising mission of the Church, founded on faith in Jesus Christ, and express this in a Mission Statement that identifies their traditions and charisms.”
Our College brings the Gospel alive in our community by sharing in the values of the Catholic Church.
The parish, families, students and staff work hard to help those less fortunate. In addition, our school recognises its role within the culture of the local community and has strong ties with local groups and organisations.
Our interaction with the parish includes:
- Parish Programs
- Weekly Mass
- Regular Reconciliation
Visit our parish websites at St Declan’s Penshurst and St Raphael’s South Hurstville.
I am pleased to present our Strategic Plan: The Next Level – Towards 2027. This comprehensive plan has been carefully developed, taking into account the unique context of our school, and serves as a roadmap for our community. It is grounded in a strong history of faith and values, responsive and relevant to the present reality and to the future.
Our strategic priorities continue St Marcellin Champagnat’s dream of transforming the lives and situations of young people through offering them a holistic education, both human and spiritual, based on an encounter with Jesus Christ and lived out in our relationships with each other. At the core of our strategic priorities is our unwavering belief in the right of each child to pursue personal excellence.
We recognise our responsibility to create the optimal conditions that enable every student to achieve their full potential.
Through our strategic plan, we want to ensure that our commitment to quality teaching, student learning, and fostering an exceptional environment for growth and opportunities is well-known and understood by all stakeholders. This document serves as a guide for the future of our school, and we are immensely proud of the possibilities it presents.
With this strategic plan as our compass, we look forward to the journey ahead and the positive impact it will have as we take the entire school community to the next level. Together, we will work towards creating an aspirational environment where each individual can flourish and realise their dreams.