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DLS Cronulla

De La Salle Cronulla – Riding the Changing Tide

After almost 90 years, the senior Lasallian College on Gunnamatta Bay is transforming itself into a full secondary school as St. Aloysius College in 2024. The waves of changing education, especially in the region, have led to Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) planning a new hub of three schools, giving, it says, “an interwoven system sharing educational expertise, facilities and resources”.

The two Years 7-10 schools – Our Lady of Burraneer and De La Salle Caringbah will start building in 2024 to full Years 7-12 high schools.

The currents of NSW education are leading schools and systems to recalibrate. One continuing trend is parental choice for a fully secondary single-sex education for their child’s future, as the status of girls and the evidence of boys’ lack of academic success gains more attention. Equally, the choice for co-education is still strong standard fare. Increasingly too, may be the sharing of resources in technical (TAFE-like) education that a hub of 3 schools could provide. Another trend is the desire for the HSC qualification, with a seamless transition for students of Year 10  to senior studies, and the lack of favour of Years 7-10 schools.

Additionally, DLS Cronulla is considered as having had a long relationship and mutual support with St Aloysius parish. SCS sees creating St. Aloysius College will allow the latter to distinguish itself from De La Salle Caringbah. Moreover, teachers remember that there was consultation, even in the 1990’s, of amalgamation of colleges, as the Brothers relinquished direction of the senior school.

Currently, De La Salle Catholic College prides itself on some distinctive features of Lasallian pedagogy. There is a successful “leadership tradition” shown in its Lasallian Youth Leaders program, currently comprising 85 students. The program emphasizes “Community Service and Social Justice” says an article in ‘Catholic Schools Week 2023’ (p.8). Regular events are fund-raising for Caritas Australia, and the SVDP ‘Vinnies Winter Sleepout’. St. John Baptist de La Salle and the early Brothers saw education for all as critical, and as a feature of social justice.

The College employs a Lasallian Youth Minister each year, trained and formed by the central Lasallian Mission Services, under its Youth Team. He or she works in tandem with the College Youth Ministry Co-ordinator, Sara Gamsaragan.

As well as service projects and community -building through the Youth Ministers, the faith element of the Lasallian spirit is prominent in the 50 students currently acting as catechists at the local Burraneer Public School. The  program has existed for many years. “As well as strengthening their faith, says Sara, this activity teaches the older students important lessons about organization, empathy, duty of care and inclusivity”, i.e., leadership.

The current Principal, Stephen Mahoney, who will lead the new expanded College, points to the physical symbols and artwork that underline the College’s Lasallian and Catholic tradition: the Celtic Cross recalling the early Irish Brothers here, the new crest incorporating the Lasallian Star, and the life-sized marble statue of St. John Baptist de La Salle, prominent in the school grounds. With the enthusiastic support of the Art teacher, Byron Hurst, students have executed two icons of all College patrons – Mary, as Help of Christians, Mary MacKillop, Catherine McAuley and Aloysius, as well as De La Salle. Mr. Mahoney sees all these aesthetic features as faithful reminders to students of the Catholic imagination and creativity.

A recent media piece highlighted that “the students, staff and alumni of the College are committed to continue the charism of the De La Salle Brothers and the tradition of the Founder”. This is re-iterated in the new Prospectus for St. Aloysius.

The lay staff continuing at the College boasts up to ten teachers who have served as Lasallian colleagues for over ten years; some more have in recent years retired. Many Brothers have ministered at Cronulla since 1936, when Brothers began an inconspicuous school of 33 students, serving the boys of the Sutherland Shire. Brothers also taught and directed the St. Aloysius parish primary school.

Fr. Lloyd PP at the time mentioned that 31 years previously, as a priest in Armidale, he had welcomed, the Brothers “with pride”. The following year there were 30 boarders at the Gunnamatta Bay school, which morphed into a junior secondary school, a senior secondary catering as well for aspiring Brothers’ candidates, then a senior co-educational college.

With little small-mindedness or timidity of approach, the coming transformation offers many possibilities. What remains an anchor is the strongly-embedded Lasallian spirit, engendered over 80 years.

 

(Author: Br Gary Wilson, Creative Writer)