Brisbane Catholic Education has announced the name for the new Catholic Prep to Year 12 school to open at Coomera in 2019 – it will be called St Joseph's College.
The new school's Steering Committee – comprised of local parish and community representatives, Parish Priest Fr John Echewodo, and Brisbane Catholic Education staff – put much effort into deciding on the name, which has now been approved by Archbishop Mark Coleridge.
St Joseph's College will be one of three schools receiving pastoral support from the Coomera Parish, which also includes Assisi Catholic College (P-12) at Upper Coomera, and Jubilee Primary School at Pacific Pines. In addition, it's intended that the secondary year levels at St Joseph's College will attract students from Mother Teresa Primary School at Ormeau and some students from other Catholic and state primary schools on the northern Gold Coast.
St Joseph's is planned as a four stream primary school (Prep to Year 6) and six stream secondary school (Years 7 to 12).
The ten hectare site, on Kerkin Road South, is being master-planned to cater for an eventual enrolment of more than 1,800 students, but will open in 2019 with a smaller number of students in Prep to Year 3 and Year 7. Year levels will be added progressively until the first Year 12 students graduate in 2024.
Brisbane Catholic Education Executive Director, Pam Betts, said the choice of name was reflective of the values which the school will represent.
“The Steering Committee very strongly advocated for the new college to embrace the charism of Australia's first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, and of the order which she founded, the Josephites," she said.
“The name chosen for the college pays tribute to the full name of that order – the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. We are thrilled that the Sisters have given us their strong support for this, which will strengthen the Josephite charism and values on the Gold Coast.
“The college's motto – Courage to Love, Learn and Serve – beautifully encapsulates the values and example of St Mary of the Cross, and we are sure these values will inspire the students, staff and families of the new college community," Miss Betts said.
The Steering Committee has also finalised the college's emblem, which will serve as a visual articulation of the school's identity. Featuring the college colours of gold and teal blue (the signature colour of the Sisters of St Joseph), the emblem represents the college's Catholic identity, its location close to the Coomera River, the green hills and farmlands of the landscape, and the connection the college will provide for the community.
Applications for the role of Foundation Principal are now open. Enrolments will open early next year.