St Mary's College, Hobart

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St Mary's College is a Catholic private school located on the northern city fringe of Hobart, Tasmania, for grades kindergarten to grade 12. Although predominantly a girl’s school, it accepts both boys and girls up until grade 2. It is located on the grounds of St Mary's Cathedral, next to the Junior School campus of St Virgil's College. Boys that attend St Mary's for Kindergarten to Grade 2, generally make the transition across to the St Virgil's College Junior School Campus, which is for boys from grades 3 to 6. It is split into two parts; the Junior and Senior Schools, but both are located on the same campus.

St Mary's was originally founded by the Presentation Sisters in 1868, and had been run by them ever since. Although it is primarily an all girls school, up until the opening of St Virgil's College 1911, the college catered for boys in senior grades as well. It was only grades Prep to 12 until 1996, when the Kindergarten was opened. Up until the 1990s, the School's Principal was always a member of the order, but that not a necessity now. The last of the Presentation Sisters to be principal was Sister Barbara, who has been a teacher and active member of St Mary's college for many years. There are also other Sisters that are still active members of the school, sometimes even teaching classes, such as Sisters Doreen and Joseph. The college has strong ties to the Presentation Sisters, and Nano Nagle, their founder.

The school is a sister school to St Virgil's College and Guilford Young College. Students wear a green dress with brown school shoes and socks (with an optional straw hat trimmed with Green ribbon) in the summer and a green skirt with a blue blouse and brown stockings in winter.

The blazer, which must be worn at all times with the formal school uniform (not including sprots attire) while at school and on the way to and from home, is green with blue and green strpies. The sports uniform is green trousers with blue piping on the sides, green shorts, blue polo top and a blue rugby jumper striped with green and brown.

A varitey of subjects are taught. Most of these subjects are compulsory up until grade 9, when some subjects become electives so that students can pick the ones they wish to study, as well as doing the compulsory few.

The School includes Grades 11 and 12, College level. The college section was almost removed (which happened to their brother school St Virgil's College, but due to the continued support by students and parents against this act, the plan was abandoned.

The School offers a variety of after school activities in both sporting and arts areas. Sports include; Hockey, Badminton, Soccer, and horse riding. Other activities include; the senior and Junior School Choir, Senior Choral Group, Senior and Junior School Band, and debating.

Both the Junior and Senior Schools are very involved with the activities at St Mary's Cathedral, and the students attend many masses during the school year in celebration of the main festivities of the catholic religion (things such as Easter etc).

Every second year, since the year 2000, the school had held an Arts Festival in the October to celebrate the arts. During this week, (which is usually show week so there are only 3 school days), the students are allowed to chose from a variety of activities that include; Belly Dancing, making bath salts and jewellery, painting murals, a picnic lunch on the school lawns, and battle of the bands (in which other local schools may enter their bands) competition.

The official School website is; http://www.smc.tas.edu.au/