History:
The Parish School at St Francis de Sales, Oak Park, opened in 1961. The Sisters of Charity began running the school in four 'tin' classrooms, which also operated as the parish church. The young parish gradually built more permanent buildings with six classrooms, a library, staff facilities, a hall and a church. There have been three lay principals since 1974 and much building and renovating has occurred. The main, original building was under renovation in 1994 when disaster struck the tin building containing four classrooms and hall. Fire totally destroyed the building and its contents, leaving the school community to be housed in portable classrooms and borrowing resources from neighbouring schools. Two building programs and emergency housing ran at the same time and not one family transferred! The newly refurbished and rebuilt school was blessed and opened in May 1996.
Description:
The school population is now approximately 250 students from 20 different cultural backgrounds. Today, the school offers eight classrooms, a library, a canteen, staff and administrative facilities, resource and storage areas and a large hall/parish centre, as well as 'up to the minute' staff and children's resources. The school has extensive grassed playgrounds, which are very well maintained by the community. Much systematic attention has been given to the development of appropriate play areas for different age groups, e.g. basketball/netball courts, sand pits, fitness circuits, an adventure playground and passive areas. Traffic management is a high priority of the school and professionally organised pedestrian and vehicular flow management procedures are included in the organisation of the front car parks. The school takes pride in its lived vision of partnership between staff, parents and pupils and constantly strives to offer a sense of welcome to all.
Features:
The school's major resource is its people. Staff enjoy a warm relationship with the children and their families and take pride in the fact that St Francis de Sales is famous for its high academic standards and its friendliness. The core curriculum of Religious Education, Literacy and Numeracy is supported by a diverse curriculum including The Arts, Physical Education, Perceptual Motor Program, LOTE (Italian in Years 3鈥�6), Information Technology, Children's Literacy Success Strategy (CLaSS), Numeracy support, Swimming, camps and excursions, and a school choir.