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St. John Catholic School
15 So. Garand St.
Winslow ME 04901-7018
Tel: (207) 872-7115
Fax: (207) 872-2500
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Standing the Test of Time
On December 17th, 1926, Rev. John W. Frawley, a pastor of St. Agnes Church in Island Falls, established the St. John Parish in Winslow, Maine to meet the fast growing needs of the community. Soon, the new parish included a parochial school, rectory, convent and church as well as all the grounds for future needs to serve the fast growing community of Winslow.
Up to that time, most of the Catholic population of Winslow had belonged to St. Francis de Sales parish or Sacred Heart parish which were both located across the Kennebec River in Waterville.
Ambitious Expansion
With the strong ambition of Rev. Frawley in conjunction with the overwhelming support of the local Winslow community, a new parish assembly hall which also served as class rooms was quickly erected on Bellevue Street in Winslow.
Shortly thereafter, a church was built and then soon to follow, an attachment to the church to serve the community as the new school, known as the South Annex.
A School is Born
On December 25, 1927 the first Mass was celebrated in the new church in Winslow. Also, arrangements were made for the Winslow children to begin their scholastic year with the Ursaline Sisters and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyons in one of the buildings at St. Francis de Sales parish on September 4, 1927.
On January 7, 1928 the Winslow children were transferred to their own school buildings in Winslow in the Annex of the new church and in the Bellevue Street Hall. In this new school, three classes were opened with an enrollment of 126 pupils and three lay teachers had charge of these students. The school comprised all the grades from the second to the eighth inclusively.
In 1939, a North Annex was built to provide a parish hall in the basement, a chapel on the first floor in order to increase the seating capacity of the church, and the classrooms on the second floor. With these two wings attached to the church, the school had seven large and comfortable classrooms.
An Area Landmark and Legacy
Today, with some modifications, St. John Catholic School and church (below) currently sits on the original grounds, continuing to serve children and parishioners on Winslow and the surrounding communities.
The school and the it's dedication to the students, has proved to a valued landmark of the Central Maine area as it continues to provide quality education and Spiritual Development to our children of Central Maine. St. John's Catholic School is fortunate to have lay teachers who are totally committed to our school.
The school currently offers a limited enrollment Grades K-5. Students are taught religion on a daily basis including sacramental preparation classes. Also, a solid educational focus is emphasized on reading, math, writing, language, literature, phonics, science, social studies, art and physical education. The school also maintains an up-to-date library facility and computer lab. Additionally, there are French classes for kindergarten through fifth grades.
The school also provides a high quality Pre-school / Daycare program where students learn to interact as well as respect with one another as they learn and play.
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