History:
St Mary’s School, St Kilda East, holds a special place in the history of the Presentation Sisters; it was their first school in Victoria. In 1854 the school was opened in the church. The Sisters, with the help of dedicated lay people, continued to be responsible for the Catholic education of the children in the parish until 1994.
Description:
St Mary’s current enrolment is approximately 240 students, with a high multicultural population consisting of 20 nationalities. The school has straight grades from Prep to Year 6. It is situated on the corner of Dandenong Road and Westbury Street, St Kilda East – opposite Christian Brother’s College and across the road from Presentation College, Windsor. Specialist teachers are provided for Physical Education, Music, Visual Arts, Italian, Reading Recovery and Special Education. Networked computers and interactive whiteboards are part of learning in every class. Parents are encouraged to be involved in our school and its programs. We have a Parish Education Board, a Parents & Friends Auxiliary as well as parent helpers in the classrooms.
Features:
Learning areas include large classroom spaces, the new multipurpose area, library and computer lab. Experienced and dedicated staff view the pastoral care of children, and the development of their confidence and positive values, as a priority, along with good learning and teaching. Special attention is given to literacy and numeracy development. The school is part of the Children's Literacy Success Strategy (CLaSS) literacy program. Annual events include the school concert, school sports and art show.