Entering the grounds of St. Mary’s Primary School in Mt Evelyn, is like an ‘Escape to the Country’! Not only do you experience familiar and warm gestures of welcome but a sense of oneness with nature; the expansive natural bush, abundant bird life and the occasional kangaroo and resident echidna add to the ‘family feel’ of this special community.
At St. Mary’s they are committed to providing a holistic education which holds the school motto of ‘Love Above All’ at the center of everything we do. Our school recently underwent a stringent external review process. A sample of the validations that came out of this review include:
The ‘high level of parent satisfaction provide indications of a high-quality educational environment.’ With ‘Student wellbeing has a high priority at St. Mary’s… the school has an excellent reputation in the wider community for the quality of its safety, care and focus on the individual’. St. Mary’s is a ‘cohesive and dedicated learning community.’
At St. Mary’s, both single stream and composite classes provide a rich and expansive program, covering the Victorian Curriculum as well as providing many extracurricular opportunities. Learning and teaching at St. Mary’s is data informed and teaching practices reflect current research and are evidence based. Literacy is taught using a synthetic approach and the recent inclusion of the Science of Reading as a school wide initiative is having pleasing and positive impact on student success. Maths at St. Mary’s is highly differentiated with lessons designed to engage, enable and extend the thinking of all students.
St. Mary’s is devoted to the connection between the Performing Arts and Wellbeing. Dance, drama, choir, media, guitar, recorder and STOMP, are taught as part of the regular curriculum by staff who are both class teachers and Arts practitioners. Showcases, performance and productions are highlights of each year. Wellbeing is addressed using the PEEC program which comes out of Monash University; meditation is also taught and practiced. Our pastoral care team is also available to provide support and counselling.
Student Action Team, Mini Vinnies, Blue Wren Café, Games Club, Interschool sport involvement, association with Mt. Evelyn Zoo and Garden Club make learning outside of the classroom fun and engaging for all!
St. Mary’s is proud to be a vibrant and connected part of the Mt. Evelyn and surrounding communities and is currently conducting tours for enrolment. for 2023.
