Facilities

Aquinas Resource Centre

Aquinas Resource Centre

The Aquinas Resource Centre, known as The ARC, is a modern building that blends into the school landscape, borrowing its outside finishes from the buildings around it. It is sited as a shopfront off the central Forum and is accessed along a colonnade. There is a plaza linking it to the Year 9 campus. The front of the ARC sweeps under the canopy of the tensile membrane that forms the central Forum of the College. The glass front of the new building is raised slightly above the level of the Forum to interact with the Forum space and to provide an extension of the recreational space that will be provided for the students in that area.

The building is a ‘smart building’ that is high tech as well as technology rich in both the design of its infrastructure, and the provision of technology to those who use it. It houses 83 computers as well as a comprehensive collection of resources, both print based and digital. The ARC offers a wide range of facilities including a computer lab, Fiction and reading area, class learning spaces, Conference room, video/DVD viewing area, silent study area and staff facilities. It seats 200 students.

It is a flexible learning space that offers different types of environments to suit a wide range of needs within the curriculum. As you move through the building there is a change in design evident, and this psychologically changes the feel of the spaces. This facilitates the use of these spaces for different purposes. The use of the spaces within the building changes at various times of the day as they become recreational spaces as well as learning spaces.

Multimedia Area

The building has been built as a Learning Centre instead of a traditional Library. This means that the layout of the building is both student and learning centred rather than collection driven. The resources of the ARC are available digitally via the College's Intranet and this facilitates a "library without walls" as resources are available at all times throughout all areas of the College and from home.

Attention has been given to the acoustics of the building and soundproofing has been installed to counter surrounding noise. The building is environmentally sound in its use of natural light and the provision of a modern air conditioning / heating system that makes maximum use of fresh air.

The ARC is an innovative building that provides a variety of recreational and learning spaces for the College. It has facilities that are both user friendly and inviting to its users. It is positioned to meet the educational needs of the modern curriculum now, and into the future. It is a flexible learning space that not only adds value to the curriculum of the school, but positions the ARC to deliver quality resources in the Information Age.

Year 9 Coffee Shop - Café N9ne

The Year 9 Coffee Shop Work experience program has now begun. This program offers students an exciting opportunity to train in the College’s new Wurundjeri Hospitality Centre. This course equips them with some of the skills that may assist them to undertake further certificate studies in Hospitality or develop skills that may assist them in obtaining part time employment in the future and even more importantly give them some real sense of a workplace situation.

Members of our Aquinas College community are very much welcome to come on the days indicated and partake of the hospitality and act as patrons for the students.

Please click here for the Menu and Operating Hours.

Mahon Theatre

The Mahon Theatre was built in 1996 with assistance from Commonwealth Government funding. The theatre was designed to cater for both the students of Aquinas College, and as a performance space for local community theatre productions. The venue is ideally suited to a wide variety of dramatic, dance and music performances. The Mahon Theatre is the venue for the College's Musical, held every year in term three.

The Mahon Theatre and other Aquinas College facilities are available for hire.

The following Aquinas College facilities are available for external hire:

Please download a hire pack above for the venue that you are interested in. If a hire pack is not available, then please phone Mr Mark McDowell on (03) 9259 3052 or 0412 580 977 for further information. Please read all information contained in the hire packs carefully, and fill out and return the appropriate application.

All hire contracts please send either via:

Multimedia Area

MAIL
Attn: Mark McDowell
Aquinas College
Great Ryrie St
RINGWOOD VIC 3134

or

FAX
(03) 9259 3097
Attn: Mark McDowell

Dominic Arts and Media Centre

Aquinas Resource Centre

The Dominic Arts and Media Centre is an exciting addition to the existing learning and teaching facilities that encompasses the Arts at Aquinas College. The centre is the home of Visual Art, Media, Visual Communication and Design.

The ambience within the centre: open spaces, abundance of glass and light, is inspiring and inviting to students and teachers alike. Already in its short span of existence the centre is a hive of activity, with students and teachers interacting in teaching and learning before school, during recess, lunchtimes and after school. This is made possible by the fact that all the Visual Arts teaching staff have their offices in this new building and maintain a permanent presence throughout the day.

It is a space that gives every student the opportunity to engage in and incorporate traditional manual skills with state of the art technology. The design of the building places all the major learning areas (visual arts), side by side and in visual site of each other, encouraging greater cooperation and collaboration between them.

The building is located right in the hub of the school grounds: next to the Resource Centre, canteen, staff centre and school administration, ensuring that the Visual Arts will continue to play an important role in the cultural identity of Aquinas College.

Mary MacKillop Chapel

Mary MacKillop Chapel

The opening in 2002 of the Mary MacKillop Chapel was a highlight in the history of our College. This beautiful space reflects a place of spiritual tranquillity at the centre of a busy and vibrant school. The religious and liturgical art in our new Chapel has a particularly modern feel that resonates with young people, as it asks them to look at the significance of the Christian mystery of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Chapel is announced to all by a beautiful free-standing cross which, harmonising wonderfully with the interior cross, reflects Jesus dying as a man and rising to new life with God the Father.

The water font, featuring falling water, provides a cushioning of the outer sounds that allows all who enter the Chapel to move into reflection on their own personal life.

The Mary MacKillop Chapel is a vibrant centre for the development of Christian spirituality in the lives of Aquinas students and is a powerful symbol of the College's confidence in its religious ethos.

Information Technology

Aquinas Resource Centre

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the most popular subjects at Aquinas College with successful VCE classes running every year. In ICT, students use a wide range of equipment (hardware and software), techniques and procedures for processing and communicating information to meet specific needs.

The use of learning technology areas and the Internet, digital cameras, scanners, video capture equipment, CD-burners, Interactive Whiteboards and data projectors are used at all year levels and in all subjects.

Industry standard computer hardware and software are used across the college. All computers have direct internet access. Microsoft Office is standard on all computers and specialty software includes Dreamweaver, Photo Shop, Asymetric Toolbook II Publisher, Flash, CAD KEY, Visual Basic, Game Maker and Scratch. Other specialist software is installed where required.

The rapid pace of development in ICT is having a major influence on virtually all aspects of society. Not only does ICT provide the capacity to change how existing tasks and activities are undertaken, but it also creates new opportunities in work, study and recreation. It is important that students learn how to use ICT and also learn about its capacities, scope and limitations. With appropriate knowledge and skills, students will be equipped to make use of ICT and make informed choices.



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