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ST. AUGUSTINE’S DIOCESAN COLLEGE | |
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| S/3.14159265359 |
1st April 2000
My dear parents
It is with great satisfaction that I write to you today to announce the opening of Stage 3 of the school development programme.
I know that over the years we have faced adversity and - dare I say - penury, but I know that you will share with me the sense of achievement as today the new main entrance is open for business via the Hollyhedge Road approach.
The college now occupies the entire site of the original park, As you will know it now serves as the major grant maintained catholic grammar school and sixth form centre for the twin dioceses of Shrewsbury and Salford. Numbers on roll as of today total 1206 in main school and 342 in the four sixth form years.
News also reaches me of the activities of our Old Members Association, whose numbers, as I am most reliably informed by Canon Monsignor, exceed 2000 - those of you whom I have taught through the years will forgive me if I omit significant figures on this occasion.
Endowments form the basis of our college works both in the local community and the wider field of academe. In addition to our work with the childrens’ hospice and outreach support to our feeder primaries, I am delighted to inform you that our educational bursary fund now provides awards and scholarships at 9 major colleges and universities. In this I of course include the generous and perpetual bequest of the Canon Monsignor in the endowment of sabbatical studies across all disciplines for 12 months in the University of Rome. This is in addition to the reciprocal relationships we have with colleges and schools across the rest of Europe, Africa and the United States. As the Canon Monsignor reminds me, "from oceans’ farthest coast"!
May I therefore cordially invite you to the solemn blessing and dedication of the new College site on May 20th 2000, 35 years since our original school was dedicated to our patron saint. Please note that your sons and daughters are welcome to attend although there will be no lessons for the afternoon - they should however be in full school uniform with white shirts or blouses, and pupils and sixth form students who fall short of this uniform requirement will not be allowed to participate in the solemn ceremony or subsequent jollifications.
Finally it is my sad duty to inform you that I will be retiring from the Joint Principalship next year, although I have been pleased to accept the invitation from the Members’ Association to become lifetime treasurer. I look forward to writing to you soon with news of the third "Headmaster" of St Augustine’s Diocesan College to take us forward into the next millennium.
Henry Rigby, Joint Principal