St. Mary's Academy of Kidapawan 4.02

St. Mary's Academy of Kidapawan (SMA-Kidapawan), formerly Notre Dame of Kidapawan for Girls, is a Catholic educational institution operated by the Religious of the Virgin Mary (R.V.M.) located at the foot of Mt. Apo in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.The school is also a member of the Notre Dame Educational Association (NDEA), which a network of Notre Dame Schools in the Philippines under the patronage of Blessed Virgin Mary.HistoryThe school was founded in 1948 by Rev. James McSorley, OMI, the first parish priest of Kidapawan. Bishop Gerard Mongeau, OMI, the prelate of Cotabato City to which Kidapawan belonged at that time, gave the approval for the opening of the new school.The Church through Bishop Mongeau and Fr. James McSorley, OMI bought two hectares of thick-forested land for the parish and the school site with an area of 19,813 square meters. The construction of the first high school building was done in the "Bayanihan Style" by the civic spirited parishioners of Kidapawan and nearby parishes.In the school year 1948–1949, one hundred forty-four (144) students enrolled in the high school from first year to third year. Fr. McSorley was the Director and Mr. Norberto Comendador the principal.