St. Dominic High School
PHILIPSBURG--The six Catholic schools in St. Maarten will open the 2025–2026 academic year with full staff and new academic offerings, including expanded International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at St. Dominic High School.
Executive Director of the Foundation Catholic Education St. Maarten, Lilia Aventurin-Hodge told The Daily Herald that staff arrivals are ongoing, with final documentation being processed in collaboration with relevant departments.
The schools under the Foundation’s umbrella include St. Dominic High, St. Dominic Primary, Sr. Regina, Sr. Magda, St. Joseph, and Sr. Marie Laurence. This year, they begin the academic journey under the theme “We are called to Embrace God’s Amazing Grace,” a continuation of last year’s spiritual focus.
“This theme invites us to take the next step in our spiritual journey,” said Aventurin-Hodge. “It is a call to recognise that the same God we prayed to without ceasing is a God who meets us with boundless mercy, unconditional love and transforming grace.”
The Foundation aims to inspire all students to embrace the goodness in themselves and each other, grounded in the core values of Catholic education. This year also marks the continued celebration of 135 years of Catholic education on the island.
Academically, St. Dominic High School is entering the year on a high note. The school reported a 100% pass rate for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) college passes and an 88% success rate for students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in the 2024–2025 school year.
Following 15 years of success with the IB Diploma, St. Dominic High will begin expanding its IB offerings to further support the holistic development of students. These new programmes are expected to complement existing CSEC offerings and meet the growing educational demands of Country St. Maarten.
“We are looking forward to a very successful year of goodness, cheers and increased faith under Catholic values and principles,” said Aventurin-Hodge.
