St Dominic’s Priory is a Catholic, independent, co-educational School. Pre-Grade R - Grade 12
In 1867 six foundresses left Sion Hill, Dublin, and set sail for a missionary
station in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. They established the Holy Rosary
Convent there.
Two other Catholic schools were also established in Port Elizabeth in the
following years: Marist Brothers College for boys (started by the Marist
Brothers) and Saint Dominic’s Priory (started by the Cabra Dominican Sisters).
Holy Rosary Convent, Marist Brothers College and Priory High then merged to
form Trinity High School – for boys and girls. A Junior School continued to exist
at the Priory. They took up residence in the Holy Rosary Convent buildings in
Central, Port Elizabeth. Urban decline and economic factors resulted in this
hopeful venture being reassessed and a move to Priory being undertaken in
2000. The Holy Rosary buildings were sold.
St Dominic’s Priory, as it exists today, consists of a co-educational pre-school,
a junior school and a high school.
We celebrate our history in the names of our school houses: Marcellin (for the
founder of the Marist Brothers), Rosary (for the Holy Rosary Convent) and Trinity
(for the amalgamated school, so hopefully started in Central).
Being guided by the principles of our Catholic faith and acknowledging Christ as our Leader and Teacher, we strive for excellence and creativity in forward thinking education, committing ourselves to the preparation of our pupils by instilling in them a sense of responsibility and attempting to ensure that they leave St Dominic’s Priory with a solid foundation on which to build their future in high school and beyond.
We do this by:
Promoting Gospel values
Creating a happy atmosphere, where all students are accepted as they are, in a family environment
Instilling in every child a feeling of equal importance, belonging, pride and loyalty to the school
Working together in justice and love
Worshipping and celebrating the Sacraments together
Inspiring the Priory Family to appreciate each other, the environment and God’s world.
Caring for the whole person and striving to develop the spiritual, academic, cultural, physical, emotional and social needs of the children and encouraging each to maximise their own potential in every one of these spheres
Maintaining our belief that parental involvement is essential and encouragingappropriate structures both formal and informal
Believing in a holistic education with the emphasis on fostering a sense of respect,responsibility, self-worth and discipline in each pupil
Remaining flexible to the demands that society will continue to place on us in order to achieve our goals
Encouraging our pupils to be true to the motto of the school, VERITAS, which means TRUTH.
DOMINICAN SCHOOL VISION
Dominican schools aim to provide forward looking education of the highest quality based on a tradition that goes back over seven hundred years of commitment to education. Our schools seek to care for the whole person in order to develop in young people
A love for learning
An enthusiasm for truth
A love for others
Respect for the culture and religious values of all
A willingness to serve in a spirit of healing and reconciliation, flowing from an appreciation of the Word of God and a deep commitment to Christ.
