HOLY FAMILY ROMAN CATHOLIC SEPARATE SCHOOL DIVISION HISTORY

The Holy Family School Division is comprised of schools in four communities:

Estevan

Radville

Weyburn

Wilcox

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Estevan

The Estevan RCSSD was established in 1950 with the Sisters of Loretto administering and staffing the Division’s only school. By 1964 the system provided service from K-12 and the enrollment had grown to 4 schools – Immaculate Heart High School and three elementary schools – St. John’s School, Sacred Heart School, and St. Mary’s School. In the late 1960’s the Estevan Catholic School Division combined resources with neighboring divisions to build Estevan Comprehensive School. As time progressed, Immaculate Heart High School became a Junior High School until it was closed in 1990. At that time the three remaining schools became K-8.

St. John’s School was closed in 2004. Estevan Roman Catholic Separate School Division amalgamated with Radville and Weyburn to form the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division.

We currently operate 2 schools in Estevan – St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart/École Sacré Coeur.

Radville

The Sisters of Charity of St. Louis came to Radville in 1914. By the fall of 1915 St. Louis Academy was built and a 2 story school opened. Negotiations were carried on for several months and in 1922 the St. Olivier RCSSD was founded. From 1929 – 1937 funds were a problem and classrooms were forced to close. By 1940 the 4 classrooms were reopened and programs expanded.

By 1956 there were 12 classrooms – student numbers increased as small country schools closed. St. Louis Academy ceased to exist as a boarding school and became a day school.

In 1961-62 there were 328 students. The church basement was also used for classrooms.

1962 – the Catholic and public boards began to talk about a joint high school. On October 14, 1964 the agreement was drawn up to educate area high school students at Radville Regional High School.

1979 – the St. Olivier School board purchased the school, however major renovations were needed so a new school was built in 1983 for grades K-8. In 1992, the public elementary school closed and all K-6 students attended St. Olivier and the 7-8 students were moved to the high school.

In 2004, St. Olivier RCSSD no. 12 amalgamated with Holy Family RCSSD no. 84 and Estevan RCSSD no. 27.

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Weyburn

Monsignor Jansen, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul invited the Sisters of Loretto to come and open a school in Weyburn. In 1950 four sisters were sent. The old rectory was converted into a residence for the newly arrived Sisters and into classrooms under the name of Loretto Academy. It remained open from 1950 to 1956 and provided service for Grades 1 – 7.

The Monsignor Jansen Weyburn Roman Catholic Separate School Division District No. 29 was organized on April 2nd, 1955.

The construction of St. Dominic Savio School commenced August 1955, opened for classes April 9, 1956 with an enrolment of 178 with grades 1 to 12 being taught. Student numbers continued to increase and in 1962 St. Michael’s School was built with seven classrooms, library, science room and auditorium-gym for grades 9-12. In 2007 St. Michael’s began additions/renovations – part of a 2 phase project to amalgamate St. Dominic and St. Michael Schools into one Pre- K-9 school. St Dominic closed in 2012, St. Michaels became a PreK to 9 school.

1964 – the Weyburn Comprehensive School was built for all high school students in the community.

On January 1, 2006 Holy Family amalgamated with the Queen Elizabeth RCSSD #218 and Spruce Ridge RCSSD #219. Both school divisions had been established in 2005. Students attended existing Holy Family schools.

Wilcox

In 1920 the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis initiated the first Catholic boarding school in Wilcox for boys and girls, offering grades 1-8, with grades 9-12 following soon after. In Feb. 1922 an Act was passed in the Sask. Legislature which incorporated the school as St. Augustine’s Academy.

 In 1927 Father Athol Murray became the parish priest and immediately began to expand the school and add more residences for boarding students. In 1933 Father Athol Murray founded Notre Dame of Canada as a Liberal Arts College, affiliated with the University of Ottawa. This affiliation ended in 1981.

On January 1, 1961 Notre Dame Roman Catholic Separate School Division #37 is established with borders contiguous with Wilcox Consolidated School. This allowed Notre Dame separate school status and thus eligible for government grants.

In 1968 with declining enrollments in both the Public and Separate School an agreement was reached for the Separate board to purchase services from the Public board. Separate school students grades 1-9 were educated at Wilcox Public School. Sister Jeanne Roy moved to the Public School to teach the primary grades.

In 1977 Notre Dame went back to private school status with the Separate School District purchasing services from them for the education of the Catholic high school students.

In January 1979 the name was again changed to Notre Dame Roman Catholic School Division #91.

On January 16, 1979 the name changed again to St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Separate School Division #91, purchasing services from Wilcox Public School for Grade K-8 students and from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame for Grade 9-12 students.

On April 1, 2003 the St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Separate School Division #91 was disestablished.

In 2006 Wilcox School became part of the Prairie Valley School Division as part of a major provincial amalgamation process. The school was closed in 2007.

The journey continued in the fall of 2007 with the community pursing a Catholic education for the children. In August 2008, St. Augustine Roman Catholic Elementary School officially opened its doors. In 2009/10 St. Augustine RCSSD #220 entered a shared service agreement with Holy Family. As of September 1, 2010 St. Augustine RCSSD #220 and Holy Family RCSSD #140 officially amalgamated.

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Contact Info

Dominic Place
#103 - 433 4th Street N.E.
Weyburn, SK S4H 0Y8
306-842-7025

Holy Family RCSSD #140

306-842-7025
office.weyburn@holyfamilyrcssd.ca