If you need emergency services, please contact 000
Are you feeling burnt out? Consider aged care respite.
Looking for a rewarding career in aged care and ready to start now?
View our current retirement living homes for sale.
Search
Contact Us
Close
14 locations across Victoria
Principles of Montessori
Tailored to individual interests
All your questions answered
Government or privately funded
Government-funded support
Entry-level home care services
Launching 1 November 2025
Services to keep you independent
One on one care and support
Support to help you stay at home
Allied health support services
Everyone deserves a break
Connect with others
Help to access support services
If you care for someone, we’re here
Maintain your quality of life
Here for people of all ages
Take a break and have some fun
Get all your questions answered
Independent living for over 55s
Welcoming and safe communities
Everyone deserves a home
Our latest properties available
Inner Melbourne communities
Camberwell
Deepdene
Kew
Hawthorn
Toorak
Suburban communities
Clayton
Point Cook
Bacchus Marsh
Pakenham
Greensborough
Torquay
Friendly and welcoming villages
Kyneton
Trentham
Eltham
Brunswick West
Support for children and adults
Take a step to paid employment
Work at a cafe
Gardening and maintenance
Learn woodwork skills
Work at a VMCH Op Shop
Centre and community programs
Skills, confidence and friendships
For children and teenagers
Supported co-living
Accommodation across Victoria
In your home and community
Get the best out of your plan
For babies, children and young people
Allied health practice
Participate in everyday tasks
Better communication skills
Address challenging behaviours
Shop from our social enterprises
Coffee with purpose
Pieces handcrafted by participants
Buy pre-loved goods
Helping people with disability
Independence and support
Funding to achieve your goals
Help us improve
Menu
Back
Enter your search term below
5 December 2018
In the next few weeks, teachers and students at VMCH specialist school, St Paul’s College say goodbye to its home of the past 61 years.
The school’s Kew campus started as an ambitious project to provide blind children with a Catholic education back in February 12, 1957. Its first classroom was an old stable at the same location.It is now a thriving school with 60 students, 30 teachers, allied health professionals and support staff.
For teacher, Hygenia Lobo, who has taught at the school for 20 years there is mixed emotions about the move from Kew to Balwyn.
“It will be sad. It’s been home, my family, my community, for 20 years. I know every brick on these walls. I know this place so well and everything is so familiar. It is special.”
Now the school is moving to Balwyn to continue its mission in a modern and even more inclusive school. The new Balwyn campus was used as the year nine campus for Genazzano Convent. St Paul’s College students will have access to new technology and resources to help them learn in a fun and interesting environment.
The new school will include an assistive technology centre, technology pods, a sensory room, a café and kitchen garden for senior students to develop vocation skills and independence.
Families, students and teacher are excited about the future of the school and of course at times like this there is lots of great memories.
James O’Brien has worked as a teacher’s assistant at St Paul’s College for the past 19 years and says his best memories of the school have been graduation day at the end of each year.
“The thing that’s touching is graduation because you have seen a student in many cases since (prep) right through to graduation,” he said.
“You suddenly realise they’re a person of the world now. They’ve done their schooling and they are out into the big bright new world.”
Hygenia says she is always thrilled when students come back to the school as grown-ups for a visit.
“It is really rewarding to see families coming back, students coming back and saying hello and becoming a success outside of school. That is the magnetism of St Paul’s. It has its own charisma and magnetism that brings people back to visit.”
The educators agree that there is also a lot to look forward to.
“We have made very good use of this building with what we have. But I think it is a good thing that we are going to better things. At the end of the day it is a building. My members of the family are coming with me and that’s all that matters,” Hygenia said.
James agrees that the students and teachers have a lot to look forward to.
“With disability right across the board they are trying to aim towards an ordinary life (for students). We’re moving to a school that will help them feel like they are at a regular school. It looks like a regular school. It sits in a regular suburb.”
More news articles in Disability Services
Locating the information you need has become far easier with our useful guide. Answer a few simple questions and you will be on your way.
Not sure where to start?
Contact us
→
Who needs our services?
Our Digital & Marketing Agency - ID Digital Agency
Locating the information you need has become far easier with our useful guide.
Answer a few simple questions and you will be on your way.