History:
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Ringwood, began in 1932, staffed by the Mercy sisters and known then as St Mary’s. It offered classes from Grade 1 to 6, with Prep enrolments only beginning in 1971. In 1960 the Dominican order took over the school and enrolments peaked in the 1970s at 600. The first lay principal was appointed in 1982 and for many years the resident priests were from the Holy Spirit order. The school draws its pupils from Ringwood, East Ringwood, Heathmont and North Bayswater.
Description:
The school has 13 classes in 2015 and a total of 317 students. A building program will commence in 2015 to create eight new learning spaces in one building. The rest of the school is new or has been refurbished and offers spacious, air-conditioned classrooms. It consists of single- and double-storey buildings and has an administration area with good amenities. Four specialist subjects are provided weekly for students, including PE, Performing Arts, LOTE (Italian) and Library. Outside School Hours Care operates before and after school, and on Curriculum Days. The students have a large playing space, including a basketball court, asphalt and grass areas with a sandpit and three shaded adventure playgrounds. The school is close to Aquinas Secondary College, the Ringwood Aquatic Centre and parks and sporting ovals.
Features:
Our vision statement, 'Growing together, in faith, for the future', forms the basis for all that happens within the school community. It is reflected in the educational program, interactions between staff, students and parents and relationships between the school and parish. The Religious Education program is based on the 'To Know, Worship and Love' texts, and student wellbeing is a high priority so that all students feel safe and happy within a Christian environment. The school provides a contemporary and comprehensive curriculum, following an Inquiry-based approach to learning. A number of special activities occur within the life of the school, including a Swimming Carnival (3-6), a swimming program, an Athletics Carnival and Camps for the Level 5/6 students. Every alternate year we have a Visual Arts Show and a School Production / Performance.