Catholic school breaks new ground in Huntly

THE construction of a new Catholic primary school in the growing township of Huntly is currently underway, with the facility poised to open in January next year.

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School will open for foundation to year 2 students initially, with an onsite kinder for three-year-olds and a pre-prep for four-year-olds also to be delivered by Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood Education and Care.

The name of the new school has been chosen in honour of the original church of the area, which was established 150 years ago and was decommissioned in the 1980s.

Executive director of Catholic Education Sandhurst Kate Fogarty said the project reflects a continued investment in the future of Catholic education.

“As communities continue to grow, so too must our capacity to respond with high-quality, faith-centered education,” she said.

“This new school is an important response to that growth and a sign of our confidence in the future of the Huntly region.”

Incoming principal Paul Wilkinson said there has been great support for the school.

“Our recent information evening was well attended and enrolments are starting to fill,” he said. “I encourage families who would like to find out more about St Thomas Aquinas to attend our next information session on Monday 27 April at the Huntly Memorial Hall (from) 7pm to 8pm to avoid missing out.”

Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said investment in education infrastructure is critical to supporting rapidly expanding communities like Huntly.

“Our government is proud to be working with partners such as Catholic Education Sandhurst to ensure local families have access to the quality school facilities they need now and into the future,” she said.