History:
St Mary's School, Williamstown, is the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in Victoria. School commenced at St Mary's in May 1842 in a timber chapel. Mr. John Wilson was the first teacher/principal. The earliest available record of enrolment figures is six boys & eight girls in July 1844.
For the first time in the school's history, a religious community took charge of the school when the Sisters of the Faithful Companions of Jesus arrived on 1 September 1897. The task of continuing the education of Catholic children of Williamstown was taken on by the Sisters of St Joseph from 1900 to 1998.
Since the school opened in 1842 there have been three school buildings erected. The present building was officially blessed and opened on 19 January 1926. A major refurbishment of the school was completed in 1994, thus enabling the school to provide a Catholic education for the large number of young families moving into Williamstown. Further renovations are taking place to better enable the school to look after all its members.
Description:
St Mary's offers a comprehensive developmental curriculum for boys and girls, covering Religious Education and the learning domains developed in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards framework. The domains are divided into three areas: Physical, Personal and Social Learning; Discipline-based Learning; and Interdisciplinary Learning. There are 14 class groups of children with a total enrolment of around 360 children.
Features:
St Mary's School is a place where a strong community spirit is evident. Parents and visitors are welcome in the school, and parental support is given generously in many and varied ways to support the learning/teaching programs, and to provide extra assistance to teachers.