St Francis de Sales Catholic Primary School

Welcome to St Francis de Sales Catholic Primary School, located in Woolooware, Australia. Our school is a nurturing and empowering institution that focuses on inspiring hearts and minds, preparing our students for the future.

At St Francis de Sales, we prioritize building respectful and high-quality relationships. Our dedicated teaching staff takes a holistic and personalized approach to each child's development, challenging and supporting them every step of the way.

We boast contemporary learning spaces and offer a wide range of co-curricular activities, including the arts and sports. With the strong support of our parents, students are encouraged to take risks in a safe and supportive environment, emerging as resilient and creative thinkers ready to tackle the world.

Our school motto, "Friendship and Service," is not just words but a way of life within our faith-filled community. We embrace the Mercy traditions and values of welcome, respect, compassion, stewardship, excellence, justice, and service.

The sense of community at St Francis de Sales is truly remarkable, and we consider it a privilege to work in partnership with families to develop our students' faith and help them achieve their full potential.

We invite you to visit our school and witness firsthand the incredible St Francis de Sales community and the wonderful opportunities we have to offer. Our rich history dates back to 1960 when the church St Francis de Sales was built, later converted into a school in 1963. The original church and grounds were transformed into classrooms, a hall, playground spaces, staff and office areas. The Sisters of Mercy played a significant role in running the school, with Sister Patricia Anderson as the first principal, who remains a special presence in our school today. Our classrooms and facilities now reflect a revitalized and contemporary learning environment.

The legacy and spirit of Saint Francis de Sales live on in our school, where we encourage our students to embrace their uniqueness and strive to be the best versions of themselves. Our dedication to the creative arts and supporting all our students is a reflection of St Francis de Sales' treatment of others during his lifetime.

We are deeply connected to the vision of Catherine McAuley and her Mercy values, which continue to shape our school's ethos. In the words of Catherine McAuley, we strive to "do good today and better tomorrow by being shining lights, giving light to those around us."

With St Francis de Sales and Catherine McAuley as our role models, we inspire hearts and minds to wonder, think, create, and learn. We work in partnership with parents, the parish, and the wider community to help our students reach their full potential.

Our school crest, featuring a quill and book symbolizing St Francis de Sales as a scholar, represents our Catholic identity. The waves in our crest reflect our coastal surroundings and the culture of our area, while the Mercy Cross symbolizes the Mercy traditions and values that are deeply ingrained in our school.

St Francis de Sales' Catholic Primary School Woolooware is part of the larger St Aloysius Cronulla Parish community, guided by our parish priest, Rv James McCarthy. Our school and parish work closely together to nurture the spiritual and faith development of each child through prayer, celebrations, and outreach. Each year, our students adopt one of the seven Mercy values, learning and striving to live these values every day.

We are proud to be part of the Sydney Catholic Schools system, which includes over 150 low-fee Catholic schools in the Sydney Archdiocese. These schools are thriving Catholic communities that ignite a love of Christ through excellent teaching and learning, empowering students to reach their full potential.

We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of the land on which our schools and offices now stand. We honor the Elders, both past and present, and recognize their ongoing connection to the land.

Come and be a part of the St Francis de Sales Catholic Primary School community, where hearts and minds are inspired, and students are empowered for the future.