1979 the boys and girls colleges amalgamated and became known as Aquinas College under lay administration. It incorporated the structure of three sub-schools; junior girls and boys (Years 7-10) and senior co-educational (Years 11-12) with an overall student population of approximately 1400 at the time. In 2021, Aquinas College commemorated 60 years of educating students from the local parishes. A commemorative edition of Illuminare, the alumni magazine was created filled with photos, reflections and memories gathered from across alumni, staff and students. Teaching and learning Teaching and Learning at Aquinas College is founded in their Mission. A love of learning grows in an environment that fosters strong relationships between the student and the teacher, based on a belief in the dignity of all. Aquinas students are encouraged to understand themselves as learners in order to reach their full potential. Students undertake a comprehensive curriculum incorporating literacy, numeracy, critical and creative thinking, problem solving and ICT. Visible learning promotes practices that maximise the impact of the teacher on student learning outcomes. This includes thinking about learning from the student’s perspective and particularly about higher order thinking skills. It shapes the way learning spaces are designed so that collaboration is enhanced and feedback is central to the learning process. The College endeavours to meet the interests and aspirations of every student with a comprehensive curriculum across Middle and Senior Years. Year 9 students are challenged with an experiential education program incorporating outdoor education, personal development and an outstanding Café program. Aquinas is well equipped with extensive Educational Support Services for students requiring learning support and an AGiLE Program for those seeking learning enhancement. They enjoy a long standing partnership with St Mary’s School for the Deaf with their students fully integrated into the learning program. Staff are highly skilled and supported in their teaching with state of the art ICT infrastructure and access to expert professional learning opportunities. The College aims to assist students to embrace and harness their unique gifts by providing a broad comprehensive curriculum in the Middle Years, with increasing opportunity to pursue specific areas of interest as students proceed to the Senior Years. Students seeking University entrance have access to a wide variety of subjects in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), whereas those interested in exploring vocational pathways have the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and a broad range of Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificates