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Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed...
Our Mission (Purpose)
To provide the students of Collie and the surrounding areas with the very best educational program, underpinned by Christian values and spiritual development.
Our Vision (Future)
Inspired by Jesus, we walk together with our families to nurture faith filled, engaged and successful learners.
Our Goals
We Walk Together!
We are Successful Learners!
We are the Hands and Hearts of Jesus!
We are Committed to Improvement!
St Brigid’s School
St Brigid’s enjoys a long, proud and rich history and connection with our founding order- the Presentation Sisters who established our school in 1902.
St Brigid’s Primary School was opened in 1902 by the Presentation Sisters at the request of Bishop Gibney and the fledgling Catholic Community. From 1902 to 1955 St Brigid’s catered for both boys and girls from infants [Year 1] to leaving [Year 12].
Prior to the establishment of a senior school in Collie the sisters taught students in Years 11 and 12. In addition to the day school, a night school was established for adults of any age who wished to be trained for various trades and professions. In 1955 (after the completion of St Edmund’s College), boys completed their early schooling at St Brigid’s (Year 1- Year 3) and were enrolled at St Edmund’s College from Year 4 onwards, while the girls remained at St Brigid’s School.
In 1994, St Brigid’s School amalgamated with St Edmunds College to form Collie Catholic College on two campuses- St. Brigid’s Campus (catering for primary girls and boys) and St Edmund’s Campus (catering for high school girls and boys).
At the end of the 2000 school year, due to low enrolments, the school was returned to a primary school (including Year 7 students). In January 2003, the school was officially renamed St Brigid’s School and was relocated to its current site in North Collie in October of the same year. St Brigid’s School continues to provide our students with an outstanding educational program underpinned by Catholic values and spiritual development.
1800's:
The Beginnings of
Catholic Education
in Dardanup
1852, Thomas Little, an Irish migrant,
donated 50 acres of his land to the
Catholic Church to build a Church
and monastery.
April 19, 1857 the new Church was
completed and blessed. It was the
first Church outside of Perth and
Fremantle. This building is on school
grounds, and is now known as
Thomas Little Hall.
September 15, 1857, Mr Little
funded a school to meet the need
from the Catholic Population.
From 1871-1877 Miss Ellen Costello
taught at the school. In 1897, Ellen
Costello became known as Mother
Angela, the first Australian born
Superior of the Sisters of Mercy.
During 1897 the school building had
fallen into a state of disrepair, and
students were moved into a state
ran school.
1920's:
Father Finnegan works
to reestablish Catholic
Education in Dardanup
Monday April 12th 1920, a Convent
School was opened in Dardanup by
the Sisters of Mercy at Prinsep Park,
with 21 students. The first sisters
were Sr Columba, Sr Finian and Sr
Berchmans.
Monday 6th February 1922, a new
Convent was built, with the school
moving to this new building. It was
officially opened on Sunday 22nd
April the same year.
1930's -
1950's:
Enrolments
Grow
In 1938 the church (now
Thomas Little Hall) was used
once again as classrooms, as
student numbers had increased.
In 1949 two new classrooms
were built (the current school
library). Thanks to the support
of Fr Charles Cunningham, local
carpenter Mr Peter Byrne and
lots of parish and parent
supported busy bees.
February 1952 a third classroom
was added. School numbers did
drop slightly during this time,
due to the opening of Marist
Brother’s College (now Bunbury
Catholic College)
1970's - 1990's:
1974 the first lay teacher was employed and in 1975 the
first lay Principal. Year seven students were moved to
Marist Brother’s College.
In 1982, year seven classes were returned to OLOL.
In 1984 the school’s administration office was moved.
1992 saw the removal of the classroom, built in 1952, to
expose Thomas Little Hall. The two original classrooms
were converted to a Library and school office.
1992/93, Three new classrooms were built to the east
on the adjoining location. Pre-primary students attended
for the first time.
In 1999 the current administration block, year three
classroom and canteen were built. Kindergarten was
introduced for the first time.
2000's:
2005 saw the completion of another two classrooms.
2009 saw the completion of of building plans, which took
Our Lady of Lourdes to full single stream capacity.
In 2010, the Building Education Revolution government
funding was used to construct the hall complex.
2014 was the last year our school held a Year Seven class.
In 2017 a nature playground was constructed by parent volunteers.
Term 2, 2019 saw the commencement of Pre-Kindy program for 3-year-olds students.
February 2020 the school held 100 year celebrations. Over 300 past and present students, families and staff came to
celebrate, reminisce and officially bless and open the new memorial garden.
St Damien’s Catholic Primary School is a Christ-centered and child-focused community of engaging learning environments, inspiring all to actively live the Gospel.
Our mission at St Damien’s Catholic Primary School is to create an environment that enables children to shine and be confident in meeting the challenges of the future – as learners, as faith-filled individuals and as carers of others and their world.
Shine Christ’s Light – St Damien’s graduates relate personally with Jesus and model Christ through their words and actions. They are always considerate, compassionate, empathetic, inclusive and show mercy to others.
Show Respect – St Damien’s graduates respect the uniqueness and dignity of each person in their family and community, respect themselves and their health and respect the environment. They are welcoming and supportive of all people. They make decisions based on their Christian conscience and understand that being respectful is one of the key ingredients to letting Christ shine and being the best person, they can be.
Strive for Excellence – St Damien’s graduates hold high expectations for achieving their personal best. They are confident and creative individuals, who become successful lifelong learners and active, informed members of the community.
Strong 21st Century Skills – St Damien’s graduates are critical and creative thinkers who respond to the diverse needs of an ever-changing world. They are productive and informed technology users who have the knowledge and skills to become digitally literate. They adapt to change and are responsible users of technology in an interconnected world.
Care for People – St Damien’s graduates have a strong sense of belonging to their community. They understand that each person has a gift and that all have gifts to share. Through their actions, they demonstrate care for people marked by respect of different cultures, responsibility, empathy, resilience, compassion and forgiveness.
Care For the Earth – St Damien’s graduates have an appreciation and respect for the environment. They recognise they are a global citizen and maintain environmental responsibility through their actions and knowledge, making positives changes.
B:
St Damien’s Catholic Primary School is a Pre Kindy– Yr 6 double stream Catholic school where the staff, parents, children and members of the wider community, work together to achieve their total development in a harmonious environment. Our School places importance on the development of such qualities and attitudes as honesty, kindness, tolerance, responsibility, fair play, initiative, reverence and respect, as modeled by Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
St Damien’s provides a comprehensive and holistic education in all learning areas. Every child is provided with tailored learning opportunities in order to ensure they are able to achieve their full potential. The school has an exemplary and ever improving academic program, as evidenced by solid results in standardised tests including NAPLAN, which it complements with extensive extension and support programs. St Damien’s also provides a sacramental program and offers rich and varied learning opportunities in areas such as sustainability and environmental studies (including onsite vegetable gardens, chickens and aquaponics), Musical Instrument Tuition, Information Technology, Robotics, Beach Safety/Awareness, Italian Language and Culture Studies and access to an extremely large number of sporting pursuits.
St Damien’s Catholic Primary School was first established in 2005 with an enrolment of 68 students and was named Florida Catholic Primary School. The school is situated in the heart of Dawesville and caters for 481 students from 3 Year Old Kindy to Year 6. It is serviced by excellent public transport and offers an onsite before/after school and vacation care facility. At St Damien’s Catholic Primary School, we have one school rule – RESPECT. This permeates all aspects of our school culture.
The St Damien’s Catholic Primary School logo encompasses many aspects of our unique environment.
Light blue: the beautiful blue sky God has created
The yellow semi-circle: the sun above the horizon is shining on us through Christ.
Dark blue: the ocean
Yellow: the sand
The Cross: Jesus being at the centre of our lives at all times.
Our Purpose
To nurture and empower an inclusive learning community, centred in Christ.
Our Promise
School Core Values
As a learning community centred on the example of Christ, the following core values underpin our approach;
Our Lady of the Cape is a Catholic co-educational primary school that was established in 1996. The school now has full double stream facilities catering for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6.
The establishment of our school was made possible through the financial support provided by St Joseph’s Parish, Busselton and the commitment of the Dunsborough Faith Community.
An active group of Dunsborough residents commenced canvassing for a Catholic school in 1992. After contending with many hurdles, approval was finally given for the establishment of a Catholic school. Fr Leon Russell and the initial Steering Committee were instrumental in the establishment of Our Lady of the Cape Primary School.
Our Lady of the Cape commenced operation in 1996 with an enrolment of 82 students from Preprimary to Year 3. It was originally planned for a Catholic school to be established in Dunsborough in 1998 however there was a strong push from the local community to open in 1996. This eventuated, however all initial capital costs were to be met by the Dunsborough Community until 1998 when system support would be made available for capital purposes. The parish was most supportive of the movement to see a Catholic school built in Dunsborough.
A unique feeling of community was established even before the first school year commenced. The initial information meetings were held in the Church and our first P&F meetings were held there also. The support by the parents was quite extraordinary. Special events that marked the beginning of the school development included the picnic at Meelup Beach to distribute school uniforms and the ‘Sausage Sizzle’ on the oval site to pick up sticks and rocks.
As is quite common with building programs, the builders were running behind schedule and the facilities were not made available until the Friday before the school was set to open on the following Tuesday. Parents went to Perth with a truck to collect furniture and equipment (this saved precious dollars) and other deliveries appeared from many different sources. Staff, parents and some smaller willing helpers worked non stop over the weekend and the school opened on Tuesday January 31 1996 with everything prepared including administration. There was a wonderful feeling of achievement when the students came on day one. The architect, Ronald Hawkins is to be commended on his excellent school design.
The initial cohort had students coming together from the local government school, neighbouring Catholic school, transferring from other schools and those commencing school for the first time. These students, along with their families and school staff needed to develop a sense of community and a common vision within a tight time frame. It was fortunate that all the people involved with the school had a strong sense of community and were extremely supportive. In the early years many hours were spent at busy bees building playgrounds, landscaping and seeing to the many tasks associated with a new school. This helped parents develop a unique sense of ‘ownership’ which had a positive influence on the OLC community.
The first steering committee was established in 1995 and became the Interim School Board. The first chairperson was Mr Ray Davern who worked extremely hard in establishing the school. Ray sadly passed away in 2001 however he has left us with a wonderful legacy.
Since 1995 the governing bodies have provided excellent support for the school and saw eight stages of our Capital Development Plan through to fruition by 2024.
In 2021, with the incorporation of CEWA (Catholic Education Western Australia), the School Board was renamed the School Advisory Council. This group continues to provide planning and development and financial advice to the Principal, meeting the present and future needs of the school’s students.
The name was selected because of our geographical location and a spiritual connection with the original Our Lady of the Cape location in Canada, where a number of miracles had taken place. We also share a special devotion to Mary as our name suggests. The original Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Canada had to struggle to overcome numerous hardships and this resembles the path the Dunsborough Community followed to see our school come to fruition.
The motto reflects the diversity and individuality of the many gifted and unique people that are part of our school community and will continue to be so for many years. The heart is a major organ of the body and is essential for life. The heart is also a universal symbol for love. The motto identifies the need to respect the individuality of each member of our community who is also united in a common vision.
We empower our students to be active learners in a Christ-centred, child-focused community. Students are inspired to become adaptable, real-world learners who strive for excellence now and into the future.
Our motto, ‘Grow in Love’, is further enlivened by our CORE values of Courage, Optimism, Respect and Excellence.
OLSOTS students display Courage by making good choices, standing up for what is right, exploring new opportunities, taking risks in their learning and developing their skills.
Our students display Optimism in the classroom and in the playground. Students are encouraged to think positively, even when experiencing difficulties. Noticing the good in themselves, others and the world around them helps students maintain an optimistic outlook. Students are reminded that setbacks are temporary, with mistakes providing opportunities for learning.
Students strive to show Respect at all times towards others, property, the environment and themselves. They encourage others, lend a hand, use kind words and listen to other points of view.
We provide a positive and supportive environment for the students to grow as confident and independent learners, striving for Excellence in all they do. We encourage all students to work hard, set goals and maintain a growth mindset. Recognising that students have different gifts, we provide a variety of opportunities for students to display personal excellence and build their knowledge. OLSOTS students strive to be the very best they can be.
As well as contracted builders completing their work, parents also rolled up their sleeves to assist with the rolling of the lawn and landscaping. During a period of consultation, school name suggestions were put forward. These included Mary MacKillop, St Mary’s, Holy Family, Ava Maria and Southern Cross. The name Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School was chosen, before the crest and motto were decided. Classes began on Monday 8 February 1993, with new staff welcoming 58 students, from Pre-Primary to Year Five.
An additional learning block was opened in 1997, housing classrooms, a canteen, library and computer room. The computer room is now our Science Lab and the canteen our Uniform Shop.
1999 saw the opening of the Administration block and Kindergarten classroom. The new Administration block included a staffroom, reception and various offices. The Kindergarten classroom provided an additional learning space in our Early Years.
The Koortoomitji Garden was opened on 26th August 2004. Koortoomitji is a Noongar word, meaning soul or centre. Our garden is at the centre of our school, providing opportunities to gather together.
Our Hall was built in 2011, providing a modern space for class assemblies, school concerts, special events and indoor sport. This build also included a new canteen, Art room, meeting room and toilets.
Pre-Kindy was introduced in 2012, providing a wonderful opportunity for students to begin school, one day each week upon turning three. 2014 saw our last Year Seven class graduate, with Year Seven moving to high school from 2015.
A new playground was installed in 2022, with students having input during the design process. The P&F group assisted with a donation of funds towards the playground, after undertaking various fundraising initiatives.
St. Anne’s is a Catholic Primary School reflecting the teachings of Jesus. It builds upon the multicultural traditions of the local community. Within this environment, students are nurtured to develop individually as creative and responsible learners, with a love of truth, faith and knowledge.
Catherine McAuley, from a devout Irish Catholic family, was adopted by a wealthy family following her mother’s death. After being bequeathed a portion of money Catherine set about establishing a house of mercy to care for Dublin’s poor. Others were inspired to follow and soon the Order of the Sisters of Mercy(1831) was established. In 1846 the first Sisters of Mercy arrived in Australia.
Shortly after the erection of the church in Harvey in 1932, the question of a Catholic school in the parish was raised. The Mercy community in Bunbury responded to the call and took up residence in the weatherboard ‘temporary’ building transported on jinkers from Bunbury in November 1934. On Sunday 25th November 1934 the ‘new’ convent was blessed and opened with great ceremony by Archbishop Prendeville.
The School was opened in 1935 with 42 pupils and rose to 61 by the end of the first year. From its humble beginnings in 1935 the school has provided education for many hundreds of children. This has at times been difficult with the multicultural nature introduced in 1937.
In 1938 G. Worner, Inspector of Education was recorded as saying that ‘the school had ample accommodation now that the church was available. More than half of the children have arrived within the past two years from Southern Europe. A few recent arrivals are only able to speak Italian.’
The school was the only school in the Harvey district that taught up to Leaving Standards when no other secondary education was available. Despite all the language problems many pupils have done well and hold pride of place in the Harvey Community in the fields of agriculture, banking, surveying, law and business. Sister M. Beatrice was reported as saying, ‘it was all we had and of course, you did the best with what was available,’ after one Education Inspector examined her class of 72 and was heard saying: ‘You are a marvel.’
The school was eventually re-located to its present site because of the buildup of pupil population that is still going on today. From its humble beginnings, the school has grown to be a valuable educational institution.
St. Anne’s still continues to educate its pupils in the 3R’s with a strong emphasis on literacy through integrated programmes of teaching. It provides programmes of special education, carefully planned modern Catechetics and a constant example of generous caring and sharing of both personal and spiritual gifts. Through this we are helping the child to find his or her place in this world as a person of faith. On the sporting field we compete to a high standard and encourage strong parental involvement in all areas of the educative process.
