History:
St Monica's parish and school have a long history in Footscray, tracing their beginnings to before 1852 when the first land grant was made for the building of a Roman Catholic Church. A tent school was already being conducted at this time at the junction of the Yarra and Saltwater (Maribyrnong) Rivers. A bluestone school building was erected in 1857 with Mr McCrae the first head teacher. Fr McGillicuddy was the first parish priest. The wooden parish hall, built in 1890, was used for school classes and stood for over 100 years .
The Sisters of St Joseph arrived at the school in 1894. Since then the Hopkins Street (north) and Wingfield Street (south) buildings were built. The wooden hall was demolished in 1995 to make way for the current administration/library/hall block, which was officially opened in 1996.
The Sisters of St Joseph moved out of the school in 1975. Since then lay staff have worked with the parish community to make visible the vision of the school in the community.
Description:
St Monica's is a small and intimate school with a current enrolment of around 170 students organised into seven, single–year level classes. The curriculum is rich in experiences and challenges with a wide range of resources, both human and technological. Our children come from over 25 different countries or ethnic backgrounds. This breadth of cultures is something we cherish at St Monica's. We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to share in the variety of cultures and traditions that our families live daily.
Perhaps the most visible and life-giving feature of St Monica's is the positive relationships between students, staff and parents. This creates an environment of welcome and acceptance. The parents, students, clergy, teachers and staff respect each other and the important role each has in developing our community and educating our children. From the first Irish settlers through to the present community, with its wide spectrum of nationalities and cultures, we are drawn together by our faith. It is this, combined with the elements of 'hard work,' 'celebration' and 'home', which underpin our school community as we continue to strive to 'Make a Difference' in the lives of our students.
Features:
St Monica's is currently working on three initiatives of the Catholic Education Office Melbourne:
• Literacy Advance Program Year Prep to Year 3
• SINE (Success in Numeracy Education) numeracy program
• eLearning Research Schools Project