Create your own story
at St Mary’s College
C
hapters PROLOGUE
It’s time to start your child’s story
CHAPTER 1
In the beginning - the SMC story
CHAPTER 2
What do you want for your child’s future?
CHAPTER 3
Who do you want your child to be?
CHAPTER 4
Education for the whole person
CHAPTER 5
Finding your child’s passion and talents
CHAPTER 6
Caring staff committed to fostering excellence
CHAPTER 7
A world of opportunities
CHAPTER 8
An inclusive environment
CHAPTER 9
Encouraging creativity
CHAPTER 10
Focusing on community
CHAPTER 11
Specialist facilities
CHAPTER 12
Start planning your child’s story now
Alumni adventures Choose your own adventure! Star athlete Go to page 12
Journalist Go to page 18
Teacher Go to page 10
Graphic designer Go to page 20
Political leader Go to page 14
Humanitarian leader Go to page 22
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t’s time for your child to start their story This prospectus isn’t like any other! It takes you on a journey through a unique story set in the grounds of St Mary’s College where you and your child, with the guidance and support of our staff, will shape their own story as a learner and member of the St Mary’s College community. One great strength of St Mary’s College is that we provide a seamless education. We will work with you as parents and carers and walk with your child from the first step of their formal education to graduating as a life-long learner at the end of Year 12. Education creates pathways for their future and the choice of school is sometimes a challenging decision. We understand this and share your vision of finding the way to your child’s future. Our main purpose is to help your child grow into the person they want to be. We hope to have the opportunity to forge strong relationships with you and your family. Thank you for exploring St Mary’s College throughout this most important story, one that began with the founder of the Presentation Sisters, Nano Nagle, who will always guide our learners with her lantern and now takes a new path with each student who walks through the gates to St Mary’s each day. Damian Messer Principal
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n the beginning the SMC story
St Mary’s College has been helping girls and boys create their own stories across three centuries. Before you start your own St Mary’s story, it’s good to know something of the College’s story. The St Mary’s College story is unique as it is the only Catholic, all-girls school for Kindergarten to Year 12 in Tasmania (Prep to Year 2 for boys). The story began in 1866 when Bishop Daniel Murphy perceived a great need in the fledgling Hobart colony for spiritual guidance. He arranged for the Mother Superior of the Catholic Presentation Order (who happened to be his own sister), to travel from Ireland to bring Nano Nagle’s mission to far-off Hobart Town. On February 3, 1868, the little school of Mount St Mary’s (as we were then known) received its first pupils.
Early 1740s
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Nano Nagle, develops her ‘illegal’ Catholic schools for disadvantaged children in Ireland, inspiring the development of many Catholic schools, and religious orders, including the Presentation Sisters.
1868
Mount St Mary’s opened its doors to students becoming the first Presentation School in Australia. The sisters simultaneously ran St Columba’s school on the same property; a co-educational school for disadvantaged students, which was supplemented by the fees from the Mount St Mary’s students.
1870 Boarding accommodation was introduced, making it the first Catholic boarding school in Australia. The boarding facilities ceased in 1971.
The St Mary’s story actually began much earlier, with an Irish woman named Nano Nagle, the founder of the Presentation Sisters, which is the Catholic order who guides St Mary’s College. Born in 1718, Nano was best known for her courageous work in secretly operating schools in Cork, Ireland, for deprived Catholic children, for whom education was illegal at the time. Nano’s school soon turned into a whole network of schools and the foundations of an educational system which was to inspire a number of valiant women and men to establish their own schools during the following century. Nano’s heart was always centred on underprivileged people and her work did not end with her efforts in education. It continued in her visits to the disadvantaged families in their homes at night via the light of her lantern in the dangerous back streets of Cork.
1898 1998 After years of Presentation Sisters in the position of headmistress, St Mary’s College inducted its first lay principal. The College changed its name to St Mary’s College, as it is known today.
1957 St Columba’s closed due to the expansion of St Mary’s College, with both schools merging together. All students were absorbed into the fabric of St Mary’s College.
2018 St Mary’s College celebrated its 150th anniversary.
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et’s start with some questions… Answers are important in life, but often the most important and difficult parts are knowing the right questions to ask.
Your child’s St Mary’s College journey begins with two questions…
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What do you want for your child’s future?
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Who do you want your child to be?
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St Mary’s College has the toolkit to help build your child’s story.
Educating the whole person
St Mary’s College will give your child the tools to help decide what they want out of life, who they want to be and how they will achieve these goals. Here is how we will help them build their future.
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aring staff committed to fostering excellence St Mary’s College staff are dedicated to nurturing and teaching every student in their care, and they will invest time in getting to know your child. They are recognised as leaders in their field who are passionate about life-long learning and embracing innovation and creativity in education. They encourage an attitude of academic excellence and in later years, for girls to explore a career or future in any area, without gender stereotyping. Our senior staff specialise in girls’ education. They tailor their classes, teaching style and curriculum for girls which means that students are more likely to be engaged with the content and methods used in each subject. Our staff know the value of single-sex education for girls which is supported by educational research.
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We value our staff, just as we value your child and how they will contribute to the St Mary’s College story and community.
Claire Raward
St Mary’s College Senior Teacher Coordinator of the winning submission for A Fairer World School Award 2014 & Convenor of the Justice Action Network Hobart “I love working with my students. They encourage me to create interesting lessons through their enthusiasm for learning and curiosity for life. The College provides opportunities to help young women thrive. Staff are constantly looking for ways we can ensure our students are well rounded, worldly women.”
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inding your child’s passion and talents
St Mary’s has an extensive range of Australian Curriculum and TASC subjects to choose from in the senior years, enabling your child to have every opportunity to discover their talents and reveal their passions. The College also offers a broad range of co-curricular opportunities. From the first chapter of their St Mary’s College story, your child will have a varied experience and be taught by specialist teachers for PE, music and languages from Kindergarten onwards. We want your child to be excited to learn new things and we work to equip them with an attitude to learn, to prepare them for a future with multiple careers – some of which are yet to be created!
Our curriculum:
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Natasha Fitzpatrick
Class of 2013
Photo: Brokk Tollefson
International cross country athlete & Public Health Promotion student at Southern Connecticut State University “St Mary’s College provided me the skills I needed to not only strive outside of College but to also believe in myself and the goals to push me along any pathway I choose.”
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world of opportunity St Mary’s College will give your daughter not just equal opportunity in education, but every opportunity. We want your child to not just aim to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ but to not even see a glass ceiling. At St Mary’s College, all leadership roles are filled by girls, so girls get the opportunity to experience leadership and see female examples of leadership. We want your child to pursue excellence in their career aspirations and go one pace beyond in all pursuits.
Our curriculum p16
Why a girl’s school p18
Why a girls’ school? 13
Photo: Karen Brown
Christine Milne Former Leader of the Australian Greens & Ambassador for the 100% Renewable Energy Campaign of the World Future Council, Hamburg “St Mary’s College imbued in me a sense of justice and a personal responsibility to act which has stayed with me for life.”
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pecialist facilities St Mary’s has modern, state of the art facilities, coupled with iconic historical sandstone buildings. The recent additions of the Nagle Centre, Resource Centre, New Media Lab and Women in Science Centre ensure your child has the best facilities to help take them one pace beyond in their learning.
Take a virtual tour:
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n inclusive environment
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At St Mary’s College we value diversity, with an emphasis on simplicity, hospitality and compassion – the cornerstones of our Presentation heritage. St Mary’s College provides an inclusive environment to support your child to achieve their best and encourage them to try new things in a safe environment. When your child is confident and comfortable with themselves, that is when they truly excel. Pastoral care provides a solid platform for learning at St Mary’s College. Inevitably, there will be bumps along the way, but our pastoral care supports your child to be resilient and grow into an independent, confident young adult. The committed class teachers, Homeroom teachers and House Coordinators work together, playing a pivotal role in the health and happiness of your child.
Lucy Breaden Class of 2006 Drive Presenter at ABC Radio Hobart “The school’s strong work ethic has really helped me get to where I am today. During my time at St Mary’s, the teachers placed a huge importance on always trying to achieve your best, and I truly believe I can credit St Mary’s for my relentless work ethic and ‘never give up’ attitude. I absolutely adored all of my teachers at St Mary’s College. They were so supportive and encouraging.”
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ncouraging creativity
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St Mary’s College fosters a creative learning environment and values the role of the arts. Strong performing arts and visual arts programs, including multiple performance opportunities, allow your child to express themselves and build their confidence. In all pursuits our staff encourage your child to think creatively, to offer a new point of view and find new solutions to problems.
Karen Kluss
Class of 2000
Graphic designer & owner of theatre production company Bijou Creative “St Mary’s has really helped me become the strong, confident, independent woman I am today. I’ve been interested in art and theatre from a young age, so I’ve made a career out of the things I enjoy the most.”
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ocus on community It takes a community to raise a child – our active Alumni Association and parent body are both a strong presence and support the College community. The importance of caring for the environment and championing social issues are emphasised in our Presentation Values and demonstrated in co-curricular groups such as the Footprints Project, the Justice Action Network Group and Young Vinnies. Our extensive outreach programs instil an attitude of service and the importance of giving back to the community. St Mary’s College actively encourages your child to work for the common good.
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Dana, Molly and Eliza Gerke
Class of 1986, 2012 & 2015 Founders of Open the Door Foundation Open the Door aims to work with families and communities to improve access to sustainable education for children living in poverty throughout rural and remote areas of the South Pacific. “We believe we are products of our upbringing and across two generations, St Mary’s College staff have instilled in us a deep sense of social justice and the importance of education and contributing to the community. Now we’re doing our bit to continue carrying ‘Nano’s lantern’.”
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tart planning your child’s story now…
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e look forward to meeting you Speak with our Enrolment Officer today to start the first chapter of your child’s story. enrol@smc.tas.edu.au 03 6108 2562
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