Cabra Dominican College: Difference between revisions

{{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}}

{{Infobox school

}}

 

'''Cabra Dominican College''' is a [[Private school|private]], [[independent school|independent]] [[Catholic]] [[high school]] located at [[Cumberland Park, South Australia|Cumberland Park]], an inner-southern suburb in [[Adelaide, South Australia]]. It was established by an order of Dominican sisters from [[Cabra, Dublin]] in February 1886 with nine sisters, and caring for 37 boarders and 4-day girls.<ref name="Web 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.cabra.adl.catholic.edu.au/about-cabra/history|title=History|work=Cabra Dominican College|accessdate=25 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503032043/http://www.cabra.adl.catholic.edu.au/about-cabra/history|archive-date=3 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Originally offering a co-educational primary education and a high school education for girls, it began accepting boys into the high school in 1978.<ref name="Web 1"/>

 

 

The college is distinguished by its rust coloured blazers &ndash; with the school colour scheme being gold, red, black and white.

The school is steeped in history and has been around for 130 years. In the year of 1206, Dominic Guzman founded in [[Prouille]], in southern [[France]], a Religious Order of women to care for and instruct young women of that area. This foundation led to the establishment of many Dominican establishments including schools, universities and colleges. In 1868, seven Dominican sisters were invited by the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Adelaide|Bishop of Adelaide]] to visit the South Australian city. The sisters opened a day and boarding school in [[Franklin Street, Adelaide|Franklin Street]] in [[Adelaide CBD|inner-Adelaide]]. The school was moved to the current location in the suburb of Cumberland Park in 1886. At the time, the southern suburbs where Cumberland Park is located, was regarded as a rural [[farmland]] area, because at the time the area was largely uninhabited and unoccupied.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adelaide's most liveable suburbs - Cumberland Park|first=Chris|last=Pepper|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/adelaides-most-liveable-suburbs-cumberland-park/news-story/e6e7dbbd7567ac318725f8b0adf5f738?sv=5aaa7c150f895bfd298fe068d8d71729|date=23 July 2009|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref> The school was named after the location of Cabra, the mother house of the Dominican sisters, where they originated from in [[Ireland]], a leading educational establishment.

[[File:Cabra Dominican College Convent.jpg|thumb|460x460px|The three-storey Convent of Cabra Dominican College which houses college administration, music department, and Kavanagh House|center]]

 

=== List of Principals ===

|Brian Schumacher

|-

|Helen Riekie

|}

In 2017, the four houses of students which were previously only used for [[sports day]], were replaced by four new houses that act somewhat independently from each other. Unlike the pre-2017 houses, the current ones cause the areas of the school to be divided via house, rather than year level. For example, the northernmost building on the school campus (named "Aquinas" after [[Thomas Aquinas|Saint Thomas Aquinas]]) was previously allocated to the senior year levels for home classrooms & lockers but is now the location of Moore House.

 

 

The four houses are all named after [[Nun]]s which initially came from [[Ireland]] to [[Australia]] to found the school. The four houses are as follows:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cabra.catholic.edu.au/__files/d/26063/2017%20Cabra%20Student%20Handbook|title=Cabra Student Handbook 2017|date=2017|website=Cabra Dominican College|access-date=4 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013005/http://www.cabra.catholic.edu.au/__files/d/26063/2017%20Cabra%20Student%20Handbook|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

!House Cup

!Spirit Cup

|-

|2020

|Kavanagh

|Moore

|}

 

Since the establishment of the College, the ''Veritas Magazine'' has been printed annually and distributed to staff, families, and old scholars at the end of every year. ''Veritas'' captures a snapshot of the College for that year incorporating contributions from staff and students.

 

The St Mary's Unit was established at Cabra Dominican College in 1981. In its thirty-plus years, the St Mary's Unit has brought many meaningful teaching and learning experiences for the students. The St Mary's Unit students enrich the Cabra Dominican College community with their enthusiasm, passion and talents.

 

 

== Events ==

The College holds and runs many events, most of which are held annually.

 

 

 

A yearly celebration of St. Dominic's feast day including a whole school mass and a school talent quest. During construction of Caleruega Hall, the event was held at the [[Netball SA Stadium]] (a.k.a. Priceline Stadium) for the 2019 event.

 

 

== Buildings ==

The largest building on the college grounds is the original convent that was built in 1885. A large proportion of the ground level houses the college admin staff, including the college principal. The home economics kitchen and classroom are also located within the ground level as is the college boardroom.

 

Opened in 2017, the newly developed St. Catherine's Wing saw the old music rooms become 4 multipurpose classrooms split across the upper two levels of the convent. The St. Catherine's Wing is home to Kavanagh house.

 

The eastern side of convent houses the St. Bridget's wing which includes a multitude of various music rooms and facilities. It is the namesake of St. Brigid's Square on the west of the wing, a common gathering area which is used for student-held handball matches during the morning and breaks. It is notoriously difficult to play on due to its size.

The Aquinas building is a two-story building located at the front of the college. The ground floor of the building has various science laboratories including specialised facilities for chemistry, physics, and biology. On the second level of the Aquinas building, some 15 multipurpose classrooms are located. Aquinas is home to Moore House.

 

Originally a science laboratory, Aquinas Theatre is now one of three dedicated dance and drama spaces that the college offers. At times it is often used to hold year level or house assemblies.

 

The Notre Dame cluster of buildings comprises the staff room, various staff offices, and the General Science Lab which is mainly used for students in Grade 7.

 

Redeveloped in 2017 to accommodate a new library at the college, O'Mara is made up of 10 classrooms, one of which is a general science lab. O'Mara is home to Boylan House.

 

The permanent location of the Monica Farrelly Library, the Atrium contains the IT desk and a Library housing over 10,000 books, audiobooks and DVDs.

 

An offshoot of O'Mara, this wing includes the St. Mary's Unit and the Learning Centre. At the western edge of the building is Student Services and the Maitron.

 

The St. Dominics Classrooms hold claim to multiple general use classrooms and a "Media Centre".

 

 

 

 

== Logo ==

''Truth''}}

The [[Coat of arms|Coat of Arms]] of Cabra Dominican College (incorrectly referred to as the College [[Crest (heraldry)|Crest]]) has changed once or twice since the school's foundation in 1886. The design of the [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|Escutcheon]] (shield) in the logo is based on the arms of the [[Dominican Order]]. The shield is divided evenly into eight [[gyron]]s, alternating [[Sable (heraldry)|sable]] and [[argent]]. These colours, more commonly called black and white, are the [[Tincture (heraldry)|armourial colours]] of the [[Guzmán]] family, Guzmán being the family name of [[Saint Dominic]], the founder of the Dominican Order. The black and white [[Cross (heraldry)|Cross]] in the centre of the shield was worn by the knights of the [[Order of Calatrava]], a family of which [[Joan of Aza|St Dominic's mother]] was of. At each end of the cross is a stylised [[fleur-de-lis]], called a 'Flowering of the Cross', which represents purity. The symbol above the shield (the [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]]) is a [[Five-pointed star]], which is placed in memory of the star seen on St Dominic's forehead during his [[baptism]]. The [[motto]] below the shield is Latin text reading ''Veritas'', which literally translates to 'Truth'. This is in reference to the role of a Dominican, which is to preach the Truth of God.<ref name=":0" />

 

== Popular culture ==

Many of the indoor scenes for [[Boys in the Trees (film)|Boys in The Trees]]<ref>{{Citation|last=Verso|first=Nicholas|title=Boys in the Trees|date=2016-10-20|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3445580/|others=Toby Wallace, Gulliver McGrath, Mitzi Ruhlmann|accessdate=2017-11-24}}</ref> (2016) were filmed at the College.

 

==Notable alumni==

 

 

==See also==

* [[List of schools in South Australia]]

 

==References==

[[Category:Private schools in South Australia]]

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1886]]

[[Category:1886 establishments in Australia]]