Stella Maris College, Manly
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Stella Maris College | |
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Location | |
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Australia | |
Coordinates | 33°47′12″S 151°17′09″E / 33.786789°S 151.285867°E |
Information | |
Type | Independent single-sex secondary day school |
Motto | Latin: In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus (In all things may God be glorified) |
Religious affiliation(s) | Sisters of the Good Samaritan |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Established | 1931[1] |
Sister school | |
Educational authority | New South Wales Department of Education |
Oversight |
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Principal | Elizabeth Carnegie |
Staff | ~145 |
Grades | 7-12 |
Gender | Girls |
Enrolment | c. 900 |
Campuses |
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Campus type | Suburban |
Colour(s) | Dark maroon and forest green |
Affiliations | Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools |
Website | stellamaris |
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Stella Maris College is a dual-campus independent Roman Catholic single-sex secondary day school for girls, located on the northern end of Manly Beach at Queenscliff in Manly, on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1931 by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, the College provides a religious and general education in the Benedictine tradition for approximately 900 girls from Year 7 to Year 12 from the surrounding area and from overseas.
History
In 1857 Archbishop Polding founded the first Australian order of nuns, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St. Benedict. The sisters had been looking for a home to look after the growing number of orphaned and neglected children, and in 1880 they heard of a good sized estate at Manly, then unoccupied and in disrepair. It proved an ideal spot and in 1881 was blessed as the Star of the Sea Convent and the Good Samaritan Sisters moved in and set up a school for them.[1]
The sisters taught normal school subjects up to the age of 14, then trained in skills that would enable them to earn a living – mostly sewing and laundry. In 1886 the Parramatta orphanage, owned by the government but run by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, was closed and the Sisters at Manly took in additional charges. In the very early years the Sisters also conducted a small day school for neighbourhood children and a boarding school ‘for high class ladies’ on the site.[1]
In 1910 the orphans were moved to other sites due to the development of Manly, and the Sisters took over the running of St. Mary's school in Whistler Street.[1]
In 1930 the original house was demolished and the present-day Convent and single-storey school were built and the College re-opened the following year with an intake of thirty-three pupils from Kindergarten to Intermediate Certificate, and was a co-educational primary school and a single sex girls’ high school. The primary school was gradually phased out and by 1944 Stella Maris was purely a high school for girls.[1]
The last Good Samaritan Principal left the school in 1995, and in 1997 the Convent was handed over for College use.
Since then there have been a number of extensions and developments to accommodate the approximately one thousand students who study there today.
In 2004 new buildings were opened comprising a theatre, dance studio, drama studio, fitness centre, music practice rooms, and new classrooms. In 2012 a new campus 'Benedict Campus' was opened on Pittwater Road, and in 2018 the Scholastica building comprising Science laboratories, a new library and staff work space was opened.
Activities
Extra-curricular activities
Stella Maris offers a comprehensive extra-curricular program, according to student demand and teacher/coach availability. The College encourages all students to embrace new challenges through participation in familiar and not-so-familiar activities, including:[2]
- Dance Company and Ensemble
- Da Vinci Decathlon and other competitions to extend academically minded students
- Drama Ensembles
- Debating
- Duke of Edinburgh International Award
- Music bands, choirs, ensembles at every skill level
- Spectra Science Club and a range of other clubs
- Alpha Youth Group
- Writers' Group
- Book Club
- A wide range of team and individual sports at all levels of representation from College level to National and International
Social Justice
Stella Maris College students are taught a strong sense of social justice and are committed to supporting the local and global community. Firstly, the College supports the charitable works of the Good Samaritan Sisters in Kiribati, the Bacalod Kinder School in the Philippines, Mater Dei School in Narellan, the Melbourne Women's Shelter and Santa Teresa Mission in Central Australia. Secondly, the students raise funds, donations in kind or volunteer for LifeLine, Bear Cottage, the Northern Beaches Women's Shelter, Pink Hope (a charity started by a former Stella student about breast cancer education and fundraising), St Kieran's GIFT Cook Off, Legacy, St Vincent de Paul Society, Mike Pawley's Happy Days Village school in Cambodia, our SCR Group clothing collection and Caritas Australia's Project Compassion.[3]
The College encourages empathy and solidarity by highlighting issues through events like Harmony Day[3], RUOK Day[3], Reconciliation Week[3], International Women's Day, usually through guest speakers and assemblies but the students also have a MAD social justice group who are very proactive in 'Making a Difference'![3]
House system
Stella Maris College has eight houses, each named after women who have made a significant contribution to the College or to Australian society in general:[4]
House name | House colour | Naming origin | |
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Chisholm | White | In honour of Caroline Chisholm, 19th century advocate of female immigrant welfare. | |
MacKillop | Green | In honour of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia's first saint. | |
Bashir | Orange | In honour Marie Bashir AD, first woman Governor of NSW. | |
Noonuccal | Purple | In honour of Oodgeroo Noonuccal, formerly Kath Walker, prominent Indigenous activist and writer. | |
Smith | Yellow | In honour of Shirley Smith AM (Mum Shirl), a committed advocate for Indigenous Australians. | |
Egan | Blue | In honour of Sr Colette Egan, longest servicing Sister at the College. | |
Shinnick | Red | In honour of Sr Sabina Shinnick, first Principal of Stella Maris College from 1931. | |
Wood | Pink | In honour of Dr Fiona Wood AM, inventor of spray on skin for burns victims and 2005 Australian of the Year. |
Stella Women Making a Difference[5]
- Kym Wilson, actress and tv presenter
- Nancye Hayes AM, musical theatre
- Kiri English-Hawke, author and Olympic rower
- Bronte Halligan, Olympic water polo
- Krystal Barter, founder of Pink Hope charity
- Marian Baird AO, Sydney University Professor of Gender & Employment Relations
- Dr Michelle Crockett OAM, awarded for services to medicine
- Angela Pearman, ABC newsreader and barrister
- Claire Van Vuuren, Head Chef and Co-owner, Bloodwood Restaurant, Newtown
- Commander Bernadette Alexander RAN, Commanding Officer HMAS Penguin
- Catherine Edney, artist, Archibald Prize finalist
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Stella Maris College school history". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ "Stella Maris College Something for Everyone". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Stella Maris College Social Justice". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ "Stella Maris College Student Wellbeing". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ "Stella Maris College Life After Stella". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
External links
- Girls' schools in New South Wales
- Catholic secondary schools in Sydney
- Educational institutions established in 1931
- 1931 establishments in Australia
- Manly, New South Wales
- Private schools Northern Beaches Sydney
- Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
- Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia
- New South Wales school stubs