The Essington School senior students to relocate to Rapid Creek campus

A Top End School’s new early learning centre has paved the way for a united campus, with senior students saying the change will have a positive impact on their studies.

The Essington School students Athanasia Papandonakis, Gabriella Tsougranis, Tyson Crosley, Nicole Evans, Tian (Audrey) Ming, Charlotte Hatton, and Hunter Roomes are excited to move to the Rapid Creek campus. Picture: Sierra Haigh

Reconnecting The Essington School’s senior students with the main Rapid Creek campus will be an “awesome way to get everyone back together” and centralise learning, a student has said.

Year 10 student Athanasia Papandonakis is currently studying at The Essington School’s dedicated spaces at Charles Darwin University.

She said moving back to the main campus meant a lot to her as both a pupil and older sister.

The Essington School Year 10 student Athanasia Papandonakis said relocating to the Rapid Creek campus would reunite a “massive community”. Picture: Sierra Haigh

“It’s kind of coming back to a massive community, which we left when we were at CDU,” Ms Papandonakis said.

“It will have a positive impact on my studies because I have a bigger support system here than I do at the senior college, with old teachers and people I’ve known since I was born.”

Ms Papandonakis said she also had a younger brother in middle school and cousins on campus, and she looked forward to seeing them around the schoolyard again.

The Essington School principal Karen Rohrs said the campus changes would ensure students were provided with spaces that support high-quality learning, are fit-for-purpose and inspire. Picture: The Essington School

The Essington School’s senior students have studied at the CDU campus since 2011, returning to the Rapid Creek school only for specialist classes.

Principal Karen Rohrs said she was excited to see her school’s students on one campus and said The Essington school would continue to maintain a close relationship with CDU.

“These changes will ensure our students are provided with spaces that support high-quality

learning, are fit-for-purpose and inspire,” she said.

“Our younger students will benefit from the positive example of their older peers, have greater opportunities to build meaningful relationships across age groups and see senior students grow in their leadership roles.”

The Essington School co-vice chair Vicki Bridge said the change would help use teaching staff better and assist with timetabling. Picture: Sierra Haigh

School board co-vice chair Vicki Bridge said the merge represented a “bold move” from The Essington School.

“We don’t rest on our laurels, but we are strong academically and this just enables us to strengthen ourselves more,” she said.

“We’ve got an opportunity now to put a state-of-the-art preschool in and therefore make room to have all the students back, so we’re all really excited about it and ready to move forward.”

The new preschool on Cummins St is just 300m away from the main Chrisp St campus, making school drop-offs a breeze for big families.

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