Dear St Mary’s College

On behalf of the St Mary’ s College Board of Directors, I am delighted to launch the Strategic Plan - Forward to 2025. Developed over the last 18 months, the strategy has come from consultation with staff, parents, students, and old scholars.

The plan is built around four strategic intentions, each supported by five commitments.

1.        Holding relationships at the heart

We live our Catholic Dominican identity most fully in the relationships we form

2.        Grounded in story and place

We continue to be shaped by the people and values that formed us

3.       An inclusive space for all learners

We create a community that is safe and welcoming where all learners can thrive

4.       Creative, responsive, and flexible

We design progressive learning experiences responsive to student voice and agency

St Mary’s College Adelaide was established on 2 February 1869, following the arrival of seven Dominican Sisters from Dublin, Ireland. The determination and commitment of our founding sisters, to the critical importance of educating girls and young women, lives in the fabric of our school.

Our approach to learning is contemporary and innovative. We challenge and support our students to excel, offering a range of diverse pathways and opportunities for all learners. Learning happens within and beyond the classroom. Learning is purposeful and connected with the world of our students.

Our first College tour of the year is on Saturday 14 May at 1.00 pm. Choosing a school is an important family decision. It is critical that both the parents/carers and the child can imagine themselves thriving here. It is true that one can get a feel for a place as they move through the spaces and talk with the staff.

Positive word of mouth is our strongest enrolment asset. In our enrolment interviews, we ask families what brought them to St Mary’s and it is common to hear that friends or colleagues have spoken well of the school, or they work with someone they admire who is an old scholar, they have cousins, neighbours, or friends who are happy here. Share your good news stories of our school and invite people along to our College tour or Come and Try Days.

Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire. Catherine of Siena

Knowing the story at the heart of our school is an important aspect of the formation of St Mary’s College students. The story of our founding sisters lives inside the story of the Dominican Order founded by St Dominic, which lives inside the bigger Jesus story of the Christian Tradition.

A group of our student leaders, along with leaders from Cabra Dominican College, were recently invited to meet with the Holy Cross Congregation to mark the Feast of Catherine of Siena, a patron of the Order. They were asked to speak about how their understanding of the Dominican charism shaped their work for justice in the community.

The students were confident and eloquent in their expression of our school charism, and they shared their passion and enthusiasm for student voice and action with the sisters. It was a lively engagement and a wonderful experience of knowing the proud tradition of strong women who came before us in the story of our school. Sharing the experience with Cabra student leaders meant there was an opportunity for encouragement and sharing of ideas and approaches.