St Mary’s is a nurturing educational community where students and staff continually strive for excellence and act for social justice, aspiring to the motto, “I am born for higher things.”

We are committed to the ideal of inclusive education, which values the uniqueness of each student and caters to differing needs. We offer a variety of quality learning experiences, which ensures your daughter’s intellectual, creative and spiritual development.

St Mary’s aims to prepare young women to assume their place in the modern world, confident that they can meet its demands with their creativity, knowledge, skill, flexibility and resilience.

St Mary’s is a Catholic secondary girls’ college characterised by the Good Samaritan, Benedictine values of

St Mary’s College was founded as a parish school in 1873 by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan under the guidance and direction of Australia’s first Archbishop, John Bede Polding.

The secondary section of the College was established in 1875 with 14 students. It is the oldest girls’ school in the Illawarra.

Providing Catholic education for over 135 years, the College has expanded its buildings, its curriculum and its horizons. It responds to the changing expectations of employers and tertiary institutions, the changing nature of the world we live in and the Church’s vision for society.

St Mary’s is committed to ensuring that students are prepared for the world of tomorrow. Learning experiences are designed to further develop Deep Thinking, Innovation, Digital Literacy, Career and Life skills for all students. This is achieved through valuing:

• Criticalthinkingandproblemsolving

• Communication,informationand media literacy

• Collaboration,teamworkandleadership

• CreativityandInnovation

• ComputingandICTliteracy

• Confidenceandself-reliance

• Cross-culturalunderstanding

Quality Learning at St Mary’s leads to improved student outcomes as it incorporates a model of teaching that:

• Providesahighlystructuredandsupportivelearningenvironment

• Promotesdeepunderstanding

• Stimulatesandrewardsstudentsbygivingthemmorecontrol, flexibility and responsibility for their own learning

• Developslifeskillsofplanning,responsibilityandorganisation

• Makeslearningimportantandmeaningfultostudents

Our modern facilities create a comfortable, welcoming environment which is conducive to learning.

St Mary’s students are able to excel in a culturally rich and educationally diverse environment. This prepares them to serve others and see truth and human wisdom, enlightened by Catholic Christian values.

We have a strong support system for both you and your daughter. Tutor Group teachers, Year Coordinators, Pastoral Counsellors, our Psychologist and Family Liaison Coordinator provide pastoral support to complement your daughter’s spiritual, academic, social and sporting life. Regular and effective communication between home and school is vital and encouraged. Parents are invited to discuss their daughter’s progress at any time.

Our Pastoral Care Program is comprehensive and caters to the needs of your daughter at each stage of her development. Policies, such as our anti bullying and harassment policy, have been put into place to ensure that your daughter is able to grow and learn in a safe environment.

Wevalue -fun, creativity, success, excellence, faith, peace, friendshipWe practise –Tolerance, listening, getting involved, prayer, thinking, fairness, always giving our best

There are many reasons for choosing a girls’ school:

• Girlsingirls’schoolsachievesignificantlystronger academic results than any other group in Australia

• Girlssettheagendaandtheirvoicesareheard

• Teachersunderstandhowgirlslearnanddevelop courses to meet their needs

• Girlsdaretotakeintellectualrisksbecausethe classroom is an area for cooperative discovery

• Allactivitiesareopentogirls;theyparticipate,influence and lead

• Girlsthriveandexcelincollaborativeteams

• Girlscanworkthroughthechallengesofadolescence without the scrutiny of boys

• Girlshavefirstplaceonthesportsfield,atthecomputers, in front of the microphone and in class

• Girls’achievementsarecelebrated

St Mary’s offers your daughter the opportunity to reach her potential and to face the challenges of the future.

The aim of our curriculum is to create autonomous, lifelong learners in the 21st Century. We believe that each student is born for higher things and that Jesus’ promise, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10) applies to each girl.

The curriculum is diverse and innovative including subjects that are mandated by the NSW Board of Studies and electives including Drama, Dance, Visual Art, Music, Languages, such as Italian, French and Indonesian, Design and Technology, Hospitality, Information and Software Technology and many more. We endeavour to offer a responsive curriculum, which considers the individual learning rates and needs of each student. The curriculum has also been designed to provide support and appropriate opportunities to develop gifted students and those with special education needs.

A wide range of co curricular and extra curricular activities provides opportunities for students to pursue diverse interests and talents. These support the broad curriculum at the College. Some of the activities include Debating, Public Speaking, Maths Peer Tutoring, Wordsmiths, the Science Fair, LOTE Club, The Film Festival, travel to Italy for Italian, travel to New Caledonia for French, travel to Vietnam for Modern History, Art Club, Tournament of Minds and more.

St Mary’s is committed to excellence. Each student is challenged to strive to achieve her personal best. We have a proud record of achievement with the majority of students continuing on to tertiary study. Many of our girls perform at the highest level.

AD MAIORA NATA SUM – I AM BORN FOR HIGHER THINGS

Students at St Mary’s have the opportunity to become involved in the creative and performing arts.

The Peripatetic Music Program allows students to learn an instrument of their own choice at school with expert tutors from the Illawarra.

The biannual College Production has seen us win numerous Arcadian Awards. Drama students have excelled in the Shakespeare festival in Sydney.

The College Stage Band and Dance Ensemble have performed at community events such as the Thirroul Seaside Festival and our choirs have enjoyed great success in eisteddfods and music festivals.

Travel overseas is also planned on a regular basis to develop team work, performance skills and to have fun!

Many of our Year 12 works have been selected for Art Express, a showcase of Year 12 Art. Students have also been nominated and selected for Callback (Dance), Encore (Music), and Onstage (Drama).

There is so much that is creative at St Mary’s. Choirs, Vocal Ensembles, bands, orchestra, dancing, drama, sculpture, painting, ceramics, printmaking, photography, film making ... these are just some of the creative arts your daughter can enjoy!

Physical Education is an integral part of the total education of our students. St Mary‘s encourages girls to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles with the PE program aiming to develop skills and attitudes that promote physical, intellectual, socialandemotionalwell-being.

The Sport program has been developed to meet the needs of the College Community. The students are offered a range of sporting and recreational activities. The aim is to provide enjoyment and fitness through worthwhile experiences and improve self-esteem andconfidence.

There is a lot of choice in sport at our College. Your daughter can be part of competitive teams, pursue individual sports like cycling and golf, or just have a lot of fun.

St Mary’s students are encouraged to act justly by living out the values inherent in the Good Samaritan Story and Gospel values, to love our neighbour as we would ourselves.

Each year group is actively involved in social justice projects and raises funds in support of charities. These projects engage students and expand their understanding of the world. It teaches them the joy of selflessness. Girls are encouraged to walk in the shoes of others and to develop empathy with the poor.

Some of the clubs and activities open to your daughter are:• Amnesty• ConservationClub• StVincentDePaul• OutbackImmersion• RSPCA• GoodSamaritanOutreach• Students’RepresentativeCouncil• RedCrossblooddonations• Caritas• DukeofEdinburgh• KnitandStitchClub• Zonta• Interact• SRC

Social Justice and community service activities are very important at St Mary’s.

We have many clubs and committees you can join where you learn about those in need and are encouraged to act so that together, we can make a difference to their lives.

Mrs Marie PulfordDirector of Marketing and Development

15 Harbour StreetLocked Bag 42Wollongong NSW 2500

Telephone: 02 4228 6011Fax: 02 4229 8555Email: stmarys@stmarys.nsw.edu.auWebsite: www.stmarys.nsw.edu.au

St Mary’s College is centrally located in a prime position, overlooking South Beach in Wollongong, on the corner of Market and Harbour Streets.

The College is serviced by designated school buses and is within walking distance to Wollongong train station.