Canterbury College has officially marked 30 years of providing education across the district.
Students met with parents, teachers and faculty alumni at the Canterbury Events Centre on March 14, celebrating the occasion with the school’s specialty relay race – the Cursus Magnus competition – cake and a special ceremony.
Canterbury’s Head of College Donna Anderson said the school has significantly grown from starting with just 75 students in 1987 to now teaching 1435 pupils.
“At the time, we only had a one year six, seven and eight classes, with two full-time teachers and three part-time staff,” she said.
“It’s just amazing to see how much we’ve grown, even in the 10 years I’ve been here, and we now have about 200 staff to date.”
Ms Anderson said she looked forward to watching Canterbury College grow even further, as plans to install a swimming pool, sporting complex and digital hub unfolded.
“We’ve got a lot on our plate, with a lot of room to work with,” she said.
“The school grounds used to be an old dairy farm and was originally bought with 37 acres.
“We’ve grown quite a lot since then and while the school will continue to develop, I don’t think the board will allow the number of students to grow much more.
“We don’t want to lose that family feeling and connectedness to the children.”
Canterbury College alumnus Warick Fawkes, who attended the faculty from 1987 to 1991, said the school’s values and culture remained the same over the years.
His daughters, Lilyana and Bridie, currently attended Canterbury College, and his wife, Suellen, worked as a teacher.
“I always wanted the girls to come here because it’s such a great school,” he said.
“My wife and I even got married on campus years ago and the girls were baptized here too when they were little.
“The values and happiness of the school really hasn’t changed too much, it’s just the size and improvement of the campus.”
