| School History |
Although Catholic education in Northern Nevada dates back to 1864, it emerged in the township of Reno in 1879 with the establishing of St. Mary's Academy by the Dominican Sisters of San Raphael, Congregation of the Most Holy Name. As the town grew and the demand for Catholic elementary schools increased, two new schools were erected namely, St. Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady of the Snows.
Our Lady of the Snows School opened its doors for the first time on September 4, 1951. In the early years it had four classrooms and three faculty members: two Dominican sisters and one lay teacher. Enrollment increased steadily from the initial 107 students, and by 1953 four additional classrooms and a social hall were added. In 1956 the first graduation ceremony was held, and twenty-one students received diplomas.
In the late 1960's, the library was added to the existing structure and the two lavatories were redesigned with entrances from the outside. A new air conditioning/heating system was installed in 1987-1988. In 1996 the library was refurbished and the inside lavatories were remodeled. The outside lavatories were remodeled during the summer of 1997. Computers were removed from the classrooms during 1996-1997 and installed in the library to be better utilized in a laboratory setting. During the summer of 2006 the electrical system received a major upgrade and four Smart Boards were installed. The summer of 2008 saw the addition of four Elmos and another Smart Board. The Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary took over administration of the School in 1971 and remained involved until 1988. During these 58 years of service in Reno-Sparks community, the School has served hundreds of students and now has 1,801 graduates, many of whom are still living and working in this area. |