College Prospectus - St Aloysius

St Aloysius’ College
A Jesuit School for Boys
Founded 1879

St Aloysius’ College
A Jesuit School for Boys
Founded 1879

CONTENTS
College Values
The College Mission Statement
The College Crest
The College Motto page 3
About St Aloysius’ College
Characteristics of Ignatian and Jesuit Tradition page 5
Our Characteristics
Jesuit Education
Spiritual Life
The Focus of Ignatian Spirituality page 7
Our Values
Chaplaincy Services
Retreats, Camps & Reflection Days
The End Point page 9
Developing the Whole Person
A Dedicated Staff
Career Counselling
Enrichment and Extension Programmes
The Tutor System
School Counsellor
Support Programmes page 11-13
A Family School
Parent Enrichment Programme
The Co-Curricular Committee
The Junior School Co-Curricular Committee
The Parents’ & Friends’ Association (P&F)
St Aloysius’ College Old Boys’ Union page 15
Men and Women for Others
Community Involvement
The Arrupe Family Outreach Programme
Our Graduates page 17
Information Technology page 21
Curriculum page 23
Co-Curricular Activities
Sport page 25
Other Co-Curricular Activities
Camps, Cadets and The Duke of Edinburgh Award
Debating and Public Speaking
Music
Instrumental Tuition Program
Co-Curricular Ensemble Membership and Performance
Music in the Classroom
Drama page 27-31
Enrolment Policy and Procedure
Policy
Procedure page 33
The College by the Harbour
Map page 35
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College Values

The College Mission Statement
St Aloysius’ College is a Jesuit school for boys providing
in co-operation with families a catholic education which:
• Proposes Christ as the model of human life
• Pursues excellence in teaching and learning
• Promotes lifelong learning and spiritual growth
The College Crest
The crest is a crown with a lily passing through it, which
are emblems of the nobility and holiness of our Patron,
St Aloysius Gonzaga, who surrendered his birthright as
the Marquis of Castiglione to become a Jesuit and die as
a young man serving the poor of Rome in time of plague.
The College Motto
The College motto Ad Majora Natus, ‘Born for Greater Things’,
draws us beyond self interest and self-centredness to more noble
aspirations – heaven of course, but in this world generously putting
our skills, talents and capacities in the service of others.
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About St Aloysius’ College

About St Aloysius’ College
St Aloysius’ College is a Catholic independent day school,
for boys from Year 3 to Year 12, situated in the shadow of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge. The College, which has an enrolment
of almost 1200 students, is conducted by the Society of Jesus
(Jesuit Fathers and Brothers) and is part of a worldwide network
of 1000 Jesuit primary and secondary schools and universities.
The fi rst school was opened by St Ignatius Loyola, the founder
of the Order, in 1548, in Messina, Sicily.
The College aspires to assist and support parents in the
formation of their sons in the Ignatian tradition of education,
producing ‘men for others’ who are balanced and motivated,
integrating spiritual maturity and academic excellence with a
rounded social and physical development; men of competence,
conscience and compassion. A Jesuit education stresses the
acquisition of skills and techniques in a purposeful and balanced
perspective. While emphasis is placed on the development of
intellectual and mental skills, attention is also given to other
aspects of personal formation, such as character, attitudes,
values and social interaction.
The College aims to ensure that the characteristics of Jesuit
education are effectively present in the teaching policies and
practices that determine the life of the College. St Aloysius’
College was founded in 1879 at St Kilda House, Woolloomooloo
with a total of 45 pupils. In 1883 the College moved to
Auburn Villa, Darlinghurst. In 1903, at the request of the
Archbishop of Sydney, the College moved to its present site at
Milsons Point. St Aloysius’ College is the oldest independent
Catholic day boys’ school in New South Wales.
in education, promotes effective school community relations
and fosters a positive, enduring school spirit.
St Aloysius’ College is governed by a School Council
appointed by the Provincial of the Society of Jesus. Its charter
is to conduct the College as a Jesuit School, being responsible
to the Provincial for the control and management of the affairs
of the College. Day to day management is delegated by the
Council to the Rector and the Principal, who report to Council.
The College is the oldest of the six schools which make up
the Associated Schools of New South Wales. It is a member
of the Association of Independent Schools of Australia. The
Rector is a member of the Headmasters’ Conference of New
South Wales and of the Association of Heads of Independent
Schools of Australia.
Characteristics of Ignatian
and Jesuit Tradition
As one of the many Jesuit colleges, both in Australia and
abroad, St Aloysius’ College shares a common educational
tradition refi ned by over four hundred and fi fty years
of experience.
Today the College is spread over three campuses. The Junior
School is situated in Burton Street, Milsons Point. This campus
was acquired and redeveloped by the College in 1992. The
Middle School is located in Upper Pitt Street as is the Wyalla
Senior School. The College Oval is located at Willoughby.
Every aspect of Jesuit education contributes to the total
development of each individual person. Ideally each student
is seen as gifted and unique, as a gift from God to his parents,
from his parents to the College. He is encouraged to develop
and achieve at a pace suited to his ability and personality.
A Foundation exists to secure strong fi nancial support for the
benefi t of St Aloysius’ College. It also ensures its pre-eminence
The Characteristics of Jesuit Education (1987) spells out its
aims in nine main characteristics.
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Our Characteristics

Jesuit Education
Spiritual Life
• Is world-affi rming, assisting in the total formation of each
individual within the human community. It includes a religious
dimension that permeates the entire education and it is an
apostolic instrument, promoting dialogue between faith
and culture.
• Insists on individual care and concern for each person,
emphasising activity on the part of the student and
encouraging life-long openness to growth.
During his time at the College, each boy is offered a diversity of
spiritual experiences. Sacramental and liturgical programmes,
retreats and refl ection days aim at helping each student’s
pursuit of personal spiritual maturity.
The motto of the Jesuits is Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam (“for the
greater glory of God”). In the second century, St Irenaeus
argued that ‘the glory of God is man and woman fully alive’,
personal development is integral to spiritual maturity.
• Is value-oriented, encouraging a realistic knowledge, love and
acceptance of self and providing a realistic knowledge of the
world in which we live.
• Proposes Christ as the model of human life.
The Focus of Ignatian Spirituality
• Develops an abiding personal relationship with
Jesus Christ;
• Provides adequate pastoral care, celebrating faith in personal
and community prayer, worship and service.
• Seeks and fi nds God readily in all things that touch upon
daily life;
• Prepares for active life commitment, serving the faith that
does justice. It seeks to form “men for others”, manifesting a
particular concern for the poor.
• Is expressed in a commitment to helping others, especially
the poor – what the Church calls “a preferential love of
the poor”;
• Stresses lay-Jesuit collaboration relying on a spirit of
community among teaching staff and administrators, the
Jesuit community, governing boards, parents, Old Boys
and benefactors.
• Takes place within a structure that promotes community.
• Adapts means and methods in order to achieve its purposes
most effectively. It is a ‘system’ of schools with a common
vision and common goals, assisting in providing the
professional training and ongoing formation that is needed,
especially for teachers.
• Means discerning, through prayer, how God is moving
and shaping the student’s inner life;
• Creates God’s Kingdom on this earth in companionship
with others.
The geographical heart of this College is the Chapel. A central
stained glass window reveals the spirit of heroic Jesuits over
the centuries. In retreats, the religious education programme,
and communal or individual worship, opportunities are provided
to glimpse the wonder of the God within each student and
the community.
• Is an apostolic instrument, in service of the church as it serves
human society. It prepares students for active participation in
the church and the local community, for the service of others.
• Pursues excellence in its work of formation and witnesses
to excellence.
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Our Values

Chaplaincy Services
A number of Chaplains, both Jesuit and lay, are available for
students. A full-time Youth Minister works in the Senior School.
Reconciliation is offered at Year group Liturgies. Students may
attend Mass daily, either individually or with friends or family, and
Family Masses are held for each Year group. Many Feast Days are
celebrated, and one of the most popular is the Patronal Feast of
St Aloysius where Mass is followed by celebrations either with the
tutor group or with members of the same year.
Retreats, Camps & Reflection Days
Every boy from Year 5 to Year 11 leaves the school setting
once a year for a time of prayer and refl ection – central to
Ignatian formation. These experiences further the boys’ spiritual
development and facilitate their relationship with God. Students
are encouraged to express feelings and aspirations and to gain an
understanding of living in a community.
Each year has a particular focus. The Year 7 Orientation Camp,
for example, looks at developing relationships, whereas the Year 10
retreat has vocations as its theme. In Year 12, four Kairos retreats
are offered during the year.
The End Point
Such a formation in faith draws the student to an outwardly
focussed orientation where one’s abilities and talents are
not regarded as assets to be selfi shly hoarded, but gifts to
be spent generously in the service of others. Not surprisingly,
then, that the most popular prayer among the boys is the
Prayer for Generosity, attributed to St Ignatius:
Dearest Lord,
teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve –
to give, and not to count the cost,
to fi ght, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask reward,
except that of knowing
that I do your holy will.
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Developing the Whole Person

Developing the Whole Person
The College aims to provide the caring family environment vital
to the formation of well-adapted individuals. Teaching staff,
student services and the co-curricular programme assist in the
religious, intellectual and personal development of each student.
A Dedicated Staff
Staff at St Aloysius’ are called to be ‘men and women of
the Spirit’, knowing that, in addition to the high standards
of professionalism in their teaching, their personal example
infl uences student character. To fulfi l their responsibilities and
to maintain balance in their own lives, the College aims to
provide them with opportunities for professional and personal
development. There is a particular style of pedagogy in the
Ignatian tradition in which all staff share. They have the major
responsibility for the moral and intellectual formation of the boys
in their care. They involve themselves in co-curricular activities
and develop close and meaningful relationships with students.
In all Jesuit ministries, the concept of ‘lay partnership’ is taken
seriously. Therefore, lay staff are able to take many opportunities
to engage in and then share the rich tradition of Ignatian
spirituality and world-view.
In the Senior School, Year Co-ordinators are responsible for
the day-to-day care of the students in their year. This ranges
from disciplining students to guidance on academic and
personal issues. In the Junior School this role is undertaken
by the Class teachers.
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Developing the Whole Person

Career Counselling
Career counselling is available for all students. Year 10 students
are individually counselled about HSC subject choices. Year 12
students are assisted with their applications for tertiary study
and beyond.
Enrichment & Extension Programmes
School Counsellor
The Junior School has a wide range of activities to cater for the
needs and development of gifted and talented students. These
activities include drama, competitions (English, Maths, Science),
chess, lateral thinking groups, debating, Tournament of Minds
and a number of Gifted and Talented workshops offered by the
University of NSW and the Junior School Heads Association
of Australia (JSHAA). These programmes are conducted
both during and after school hours. A Learning Enrichment
teacher is available to assist students to reach their academic
potential. The teacher co-ordinates extension and enrichment
opportunities for more able students, provides support to the
classroom teachers for strategies to assist individual students
in their learning and provides professional development
opportunities for staff.
The College employs a School Counsellor who is available
to students and parents to help work through behavioural
and social issues which may be impacting adversely on the
student’s personal development.
Support Programmes
The College offers a number of programmes which focus
on building up the resilience of each student. These include
the Seasons for Growth Programme, Problem Solving for
Life, Adolescents Coping with Emotions (ACE) and the
Friends Programme.
The Tutor System
The Tutor System is designed to provide quality pastoral and
personal care for every student in the Senior School. Every
student (and any brothers) has a particular tutor who is assigned
for the duration of his College life. The tutor is an important
contact for the boy and his parents. Each tutor group has on
average thirteen boys who range from Year 7 to Year 12.
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A Family School

Parent Enrichment Programme
This programme provides opportunities for refl ection and
growth and keeps parents informed. The programme deals
with issues concerning students, their surroundings and their
entire family. It includes opportunities for parents to deepen
their understanding of Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy which
shape the particular style of this school.
A Family School
The Co-Curricular Committee
Parents are the primary educators of their children and the
College includes them where possible in the all-round
development of their sons. Parents’ specialised knowledge
of their children makes them uniquely able to contribute to the
partnership between the student, family and College staff in
the interests of maximising each student’s schooling outcome.
The active participation of parents in the life of the College
and the progress of their sons is welcomed, encouraged,
even expected.
As a Catholic school in the Jesuit tradition, the College provides
a Catholic education to its students, most of whom are Catholic.
The individual belief of each boy and the right of families to
their own values, attitudes and beliefs is respected. Congruence
between the home and the College is crucial for the proper
formation of students of St Aloysius’ College.
The Co-Curricular Committee supports and raises funds for the
various co-curricular activities, each of which has parent and
staff representatives working together to benefi t the students.
This is a whole school committee.
The Junior School Co-Curricular
Committee
This committee looks specifi cally at supporting the Junior
School staff in the organisation of sport and other
co-curricular activities.
The Parents’ & Friends’ Association (P&F)
The P&F contributes greatly to the sense of community and
friendliness at the College by organising functions aimed at
bringing the Aloysian family closer together. Educational issues
are discussed at regular Forum meetings.
St Aloysius’ College Old Boys’ Union
The St Aloysius’ College Old Boys’ union assists Old Boys
to maintain contact with each other and with the College.
Members of the Union support the College through various
activities and fund special projects including an annual
Careers Day for Year 12 students.
The Union also fi nancially supports the activities of the
College and funds a number of Bursaries each year.
Old Boys of the College are encouraged to continue their
involvement after graduation. Many assist with College
activities on a regular basis.
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Men and Women for Others

‘Men and Women for Others’
Jesuit education tries to develop in students an ability to know
reality and to evaluate it critically. This awareness includes a
realisation that persons and structures can change, together
with a commitment to work for those changes in a way that will
help to build more than just human structures, which will provide
an opportunity for the exercise of freedom joined to greater
human dignity for all. Most importantly, ‘men and women for
others’ means that those in the Ignatian tradition work for and
with the poor.
Community Involvement
The Arrupe Family Outreach Programme
Jesuit schools are called on to reach out into the community,
not only to the extended school community of parents,
Old Boys and friends, but also to the poor and socially
disadvantaged in the neighbourhood and abroad.
In preparation for what the College hopes will be a lifetime
commitment to the service of others, an important part of
the College programme is community involvement, in which
all students are expected to participate. Student-initiated
fundraising for charity is also a frequent experience.
The comprehensive Year 11 Faith in Service Programme
presents students with a real challenge. Through this
programme students gain an extensive insight into many
aspects of life for the marginalised, the infi rmed and the poor.
Guided refl ection on such experiences allows meaning to
surface so that values and understandings can be shaped.
The College St Vincent de Paul Society is active offering service
to those in need and raising funds for charity. The group meets
once a week and conducts fund raising for charity.
Year 11 and Year 12 boys can join St Vincent de Paul as a full
time co-curricular activity. The group is open for all boys in
Years 7 to 12. A chapter of Amnesty International also is active
in the College.
This programme provides opportunities for current and past
parents and young Old Boys to experience working with the
poor and marginalised in some of the Jesuit social ministries
in learning to serve whilst serving to learn.
Our Graduates
It is hoped graduates will be ‘well-rounded, intellectually
competent, open to growth, religious, loving, committed to
doing justice in generous service to the people of God’ - a
man who is competent and compassionate, a man whose
conscience is sensitive to the demands of the Gospel. They
will be ‘men of peace and justice, committed to be agents
of change in the world which recognises how widespread is
injustice, how pervasive the forces of oppression, selfi shness
and consumerism’.
(The Very Rev Fr Peter Han Kolvenbach, SJ Superior General
of the Society of Jesus, 1993.)
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The College by the Harbour

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Information Technology

Information Technology
Under the guidance of the Rector, the College is equipping our
men for life in the 21st century. Strategies must be constantly
reviewed and updated in order to remain effective in assisting
the College to achieve its goals. Both the Junior and Senior
Schools are constantly endeavouring to improve IT based
resources to effectively support the curriculum throughout
all year levels.
The College sees a familiarity with computers, and the
programmes that run on them as an essential part of the
Curriculum. Computers have become everyday tools for a
wide variety of tasks in business, home management and
entertainment, communications and education.
Students and staff at both the Junior School and the Senior
School enjoy the following facilities demonstrating an ongoing
commitment to equipping future generations with comprehensive
IT skills.
St Aloysius’ College has integrated computer elements into
all aspects of its curriculum, rather than introducing Computer
Studies as an isolated study. Students receive instruction on
using computers as a valuable resource in research, design,
planning and production.
An important component of the IT strategy is ongoing training
of staff to ensure that they have the expertise to fully utilise the
IT facilities available to students. A number of subject areas have
developed innovative programs to enhance learning through the
use of computer technology.
• Up-to-date Pentium technology
• Multi-user access to interactive multimedia software supporting
the curriculum
• Multiple CD-ROMs offering simultaneous user access
• Simultaneous multi-user access to the Internet
• A school-developed Intranet facility
• Four computer laboratories (including one in the Junior School)
• Music computer laboratory
• Two library computer research areas
• Senior research area
Multimedia CD packages (including encyclopaedias) are
valuable teaching resources used increasingly across all subject
areas. Sophisticated supervised Internet connections provide
access to the vast pool of information of the World Wide Web.
These resources are installed and maintained in the Senior and
Junior Libraries, computer labs and other areas throughout
the College.
www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au
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Curriculum

Curriculum
St Aloysius’ College is grounded in the Jesuit tradition. It
attempts to live the ideals of Ignatian education, clearly stated
in The Characteristics of Jesuit Education, and lived out through
the dynamic of the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. The College
also aims to work closely with parents, who are the primary
educators of their sons. The partnership between school and
parents is crucial to the success of the educational endeavour.
In common with other Jesuit schools, the College has a
commitment to holistic education. Hence, participation in
cultural, sporting, spiritual and service programmes of the
College is also expected of all students. The College’s aim
is to develop within the student the qualities of commitment,
conscience, competence and compassion to prepare him
to go into the world to act with a faith that does justice.
In the curriculum, there is an emphasis on pursuing academic
excellence in Humanities, the Sciences and the Creative Arts.
The College recognises the vital importance of maintaining
high standards of teaching, and supports and encourages the
ongoing professional development of all teaching staff. Staff
selection and appointment processes aim to attract and retain
excellent teachers who can provide students with the best
possible learning opportunities.
In such an environment, it has been found that a student
needs above average scholastic ability to be comfortable
with the style and pace of learning. This allows us to focus
on what we do well and best meet the needs of our students.
Given the nature of the curriculum, composition of classes
and style of learning, it is important that parents, teachers
and administrators realise the nature of education offered and
ensure the boys’ educational needs are being met. Similarly,
it is important that the College regularly test and review student
performance to ensure that each student is developing and
progressing to his potential.
The programme of study is designed to promote a lifelong love
of learning whilst developing the whole person. Learning how to
learn, promoting independent learning, developing research and
investigative skills and exploring the signifi cance and relevance
of what is learnt are all priorities in our academic programme.
Education in the Ignatian tradition is refl ective learning. The
normal progression for most students is to University study and
the emphasis of the academic programme refl ects this. Hence
the curriculum does not include subjects from Technical or
Vocational areas.
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Co-Curricular Activities

Co-Curricular Activities
The academic programme at St Aloysius’ College is supported
by a strong co-curricular programme to ensure that every boy
has an holistic education. All students are expected to be fully
committed to the co-curricular life of the College. Sport is the
main co-curricular activity and an important element in the
overall curriculum of the College. Students are also encouraged
to participate in a wide range of co-curricular activities which
complement the sporting programme. All members of the
College Teaching Staff are involved in sporting and/or other
co-curricular activities.
Sport
Sport is important to the development and attitudes of our
students. Every student plays an active role in sport, with
emphasis placed on participation rather than winning at all
costs. Boys are encouraged to make an effort in their chosen
activities and receive coaching assistance regardless of
proficiency or potential. The importance of physical fitness
is promoted in a programme, the aim of which is for sport to
become an integral part of the students’ lifestyle.
All students are required to participate in one mid week sport
training session and one afternoon session per week (Junior
School) or two afternoons a week (Senior School) and at the
weekend. Competition is mainly within the Associated Schools
of New South Wales.
A Parent Co-Curricular Committee for each sport assists in
providing resources to train coaches and purchase equipment.
Physical education is part of the curriculum. Most major
sports are offered at the College:
Athletics
Basketball
Chess
Cricket
Cross Country
Fencing
Football
Rugby Union
Swimming
Tae Kwon Do
Tennis
Volleyball
Water Polo
Softball (Junior School)
The College does not offer any form of sporting scholarship.
Boys with a natural sporting talent are encouraged and
developed but scholarships are not given to artificially boost
the College’s sporting success.
The College has a gymnasium, weights room and basketball
court at Milsons Point and sporting fields at Willoughby.
Sporting teams also train at various venues on the Lower
North Shore.
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Other Co-Curricular Activities

Non-sporting co-curricular activities include:
Cadets
The Duke of Edinburgh Award
Debating and Public Speaking
Music
Drama
Camps, Cadets &
The Duke of Edinburgh Award
Debating and Public Speaking
The College believes that learning does not only happen in the
classroom. Outdoor education helps students to learn about
the environment as they build friendships, team spirit and
leadership qualities. They discover much about themselves
and others and grow in self-confi dence and self-reliance.
Junior students attend regular camps where the objectives are
realised through participation in activities such as archery, water
sports, bushwalking, camaraderie around the bonfi re and other
adventure and bush experiences.
The College Cadet Unit was founded in 1891. Today the Unit
has a strength of 200 students from Year 8 to Year 12. Regular
camps and bivouacs are held. Instruction is given in activities
such as rock climbing, abseiling, orienteering, First Aid and fi eld
craft. The leadership, challenges and comradeship offered by
the Unit help form the boys in the Jesuit ideal of being ‘men
for others’.
Debating and Public Speaking at the College has a long
tradition. From their earliest days, Jesuit schools stressed
eloquentia perfecta, (“fl awless eloquence”). Every boy
participates at least at class level to acquire confi dence in
public speaking, and every opportunity is given for those
who wish to pursue their interest further. The College
participates in many events including inter-school debating
competitions such as the Associated Schools (CAS),
Independent Schools Debating Association (ISDA), Catholic
Schools Debating Association (CSDA), the Lawrence Campbell
Oratory Competition and the Law Society of NSW Mock
Trials Competition.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme challenges boys over
14 years who gain a sense of satisfaction from diverse activities
including community service, expeditions, exploration, leisure,
hobbies and social interests, recreational and sporting activities,
The scheme is highly regarded and award winners are regarded
as ‘special achievers’.
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Other Co-Curricular Activities

Music
St Aloysius’ College Music Department is a leader in the
fi eld of boys’ music education with an innovative, active and
adventurous program. The Ignatian tradition encourages
the study of the arts as a means of developing the creative
imaginative and aesthetic sense. In addition to the proven
physical, social, and developmental benefi ts derived by boys
from music education, participation also fosters an appreciation
for various cultural traditions encouraging Ignatian attributes
of tolerance and acceptance.
The music program at the College is a vast edifi ce, which is built
on the three pillars of:
• Instrumental Tuition Program
• Co-curricular ensemble membership and performance
• The classroom music program
Instrumental Tuition Program
Current educational research into how boys learn has shown
that a thriving music performance program, which is fed by
a pervasive instrumental tuition service in a school, leads
to the retention of boys in the Music Elective and the Senior
School HSC Music classroom program. With this in mind,
the introduction of boys to instrumental and vocal tuition
commences at St Aloysius’ College in Years 3 and 4 with the
mandatory String Program. The College offers private tuition in
virtually every major musical instrument with a professional staff
of more than 40 visiting instrumental tutors. An instrumental hire
scheme has been established in order to assist parents and
boys in fi nding the most appropriate instrument.
Co-curricular ensemble membership
and performance
With a large number of boys learning instruments or undertaking
vocal studies at St Aloysius’ College, music performance forms
the largest single component of the St Aloysius’ College
Co-Curricular program. Music is valued and is encouraged at
this school for boys in no less a way than any other co-curricular
activity. In Co-Curricular Music, each boy who has reached an
appropriate level of instrumental profi ciency is offered a range of
performance ensembles and performing experiences.
These opportunities range from small and informal studio and
rock recitals to the experience of massed choirs and orchestras
in liturgies; international performance tours; concerts in the
Sydney Opera House and the frequent staging of full-scale
College musical productions. Each of the principal performance
areas of Choral, Strings, Wind and Brass and Contemporary
Music is under the guidance of a highly experienced specialist
director who oversees a well-established, multi-level program
of ensembles. Where possible elementary, intermediate
and experienced groups are provided appropriate to the
performance experience of each member. Performance
opportunities for these co-curricular ensembles are offered
each year through a series of Showcase Concerts in each area
and regular full-scale concerts events and music tours which
provide opportunities for boys to make music in some of the
major performance venues in Australia and overseas.
Music in the Classroom
The vast instrumental and performance programs at the College
further serve to enhance a strong academic music classroom
at St Aloysius’ College. We are fortunate to be able to adopt a
Year 3 – Year 12 approach in the teaching of music. It is in
the Junior School context that the foundations of boys’ music
education are laid through practical ‘hands on’ music, which
is heavily based on graded, sequential performance activities.
Singing, moving and playing are core activities. A music
specialist classroom teacher conducts all Junior School music
classes in a dedicated music facility. The Junior Music Program
is then reinforced in the Year 7 and 8 Mandatory Course by
continuing to provide relevant balanced and broadly based
music in small classes of no more than 15 students. In Years
7-12 the focus in the Music Program continues to be practical
music making. Experiences are provided in activities such as
singing, playing, reading and composition as well as practice
in the use of music notation and music technologies using the
recently upgraded composition computer laboratory. Aural
training, sight singing, music reading and the acquisition of
listening skills are taught where possible within the context of
the musical material being studied in the classroom and on the
concert platform. The end results of this many-faceted program
of instrumental tuition, co-curricular involvement and sound
classroom practice in the Junior and Middle Schools are strong
elective and senior music classes which maintain very healthy
numbers and excellent academic results.
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Other Co-Curricular Activities

Drama is offered in Year 7 and as a full elective in Years 9 to 12.
At all year levels the nature of the Drama taught at the College
is designed around performance, as it is believed that
excellence is attained through setting high standards and
developing commitment.
In Years 9 to 11 the Drama students stage productions,
prepared in class, with additional rehearsals and full staging
in the 120 seat Miguel Pro Playhouse.
Each year, the Year 8 students have the opportunity to
take place in a House Play Festival directed by the Year 11
Drama students.
Drama
The College has an outstanding reputation for the fi ne quality
and range of its dramatic productions. This is part of a long
tradition in Ignatian education – especially when the drama is
value-laden or a medium exploring moral dilemas. At the senior
level these are usually undertaken with students from nearby
girls’ schools. Opportunities are offered to students to study all
aspects of dramatic production including acting, scriptwriting,
set design, lighting design, sound design, costume design,
direction, set construction and stage management.
Our Drama students are able to specialise in three important
disciplines in addition to performance.
These disciplines are:
• Video production, offered from Years 9 to 12
• Set design, taught in Years 11 and 12
• Script writing; including professional tuition at an annual
playwrights’ camp. The students have established a history
of success with Young Playwright’s awards.
There are two co-curricular Drama groups at the College.
Drama is a very valuable learning tool for boys as it has now
been established that boys learn most effectively through
experiential learning.
Through Drama boys learn to:
The Stage Crew has been established for many years and
boys are trained in all aspects of stage management, lighting,
sound design and operation, and in set construction.
The Stage Crew run all the Drama productions staged at
the College.
• Make decisions
• Develop creative thought
• Devise practical solutions to problems
• Explore the human condition
• Work collaboratively
• Develop self discipline
• Have confi dence
• Be expressive, and
• Care about others.
The Comedy Team is a recently established group that
produces the bi-annual Major College Production and
participates in inter-school Theatre Sports.
We have achieved a Drama Department of the highest calibre
by attracting very experienced, innovative and dedicated
staff. The teaching staff has qualifi cations in Theatre Practice,
Educational Drama, Professional Acting, Physical theatre and
Film and Television production.
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32
Enrolment Policy and Procedure

Policy
Procedure
Year 5 is the main intake year with smaller intakes in Years
3, 4, 7 and 11. Students are also admitted into other years if
vacancies occur.
As St Aloysius’ College is not a “full-fee paying overseas
students school”, only applicants who are permanent residents
of Australia, or whose families have a current Australian working
visa (certifi ed copy of visa must be submitted) are eligible to
apply for admission to the College.
The College is selective in that the prospective students must
fi t comfortably into the academic system of teaching.
In addition to the academic ability of the student, the College
seeks to enrol students:
• Who will be comfortable scholastically
• Whose homes have similar attitudes, values and priorities
as the College
• Who will participate in extra-curricular activities
• Who will keep the College rules consistently and for the
right motives
A number of scholarships and bursaries are available for boys
entering Years 7 and 11.
The acceptance of an application is at the discretion of
the Rector.
• Applicants for entry to all years must sit an
Entrance Examination.
• Applicants will sit an examination in March of the year
prior to the desired year of entry.
• Applicants for entry to Year 7 will sit an examination in
March two years prior to the desired year of entry.
• All applicants are notifi ed by mail prior to the examination.
• A signed Clergy reference forms part of the criteria for
acceptance. This will be required at the time of examination.
• Consideration will be given to brothers of boys in the school
and to sons of Old Boys but enrolment is not automatic.
• At the discretion of the Rector, applicants and their parents
may be required to attend an interview.
• A non-refundable application fee is to be paid on application.
• An application can only be made for one year at a time. If the
proposed year of entry is to be changed, the Registrar must
be notifi ed in writing. If a second examination is required, an
administration fee will be charged.
• If unsuccessful for any particular year, applicants may apply
for a later year of entry and must pay another application fee
and sit another entrance examination.
• If a place is offered, a non-refundable acceptance fee is paid
to secure the place.
• This place cannot be deferred to another year.
• Applications close in February prior to the year of desired entry
for Year 3, 4, 5 and 8 to 11.
• Applications close in February two years prior to the year of
desired entry for Year 7.
• All fees and charges are reviewed annually.
• No negotiations with respect to admission will be entered into.
Enrolment decisions are at the discretion of the Rector.
• Application does not guarantee a place. It notifi es the College
of the family’s interest.
The College reserves the right to change the Enrolment
Policy and Procedure at its discretion.
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34
The College by the Harbour

35

Senior School Campus and Administration
47 Upper Pitt Street
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Tel +61 2 9922 1177
Fax +61 2 9929 6414
Email enquiries@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
Website www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au
Junior School Campus
29 Burton Street
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Tel +61 2 9955 9200
Fax +61 2 9955 0736
Email enquiries@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
Registrar
47 Upper Pitt Street
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Tel +61 2 9936 5535
Fax +61 2 9929 6414
Email registrar@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
All enquiries regarding the College enrolment process should be directed to the Registrar.