In 1884, the first school was established in Sudbury by Reverend Father Jean-Baptiste Nolin, a Jesuit priest. The school was held in the church rectory of Sainte-Anne-des-Pins and was open to all children in the area regardless of race, creed, or language. In order to pay for a school teacher, Father Nolin began collecting school taxes from local residents in the amount of $2.00 per month.

By 1885, the church rectory had become too small to handle the number of children in attendance and the school was moved to an abandoned CPR log cabin on Durham Street. Two classrooms were established and two new teachers were hired; Miss Nellie Donahue, an English speaking teacher, and Miss Nellie Green, a bilingual teacher. The school was extremely successful and well attended by students. However, in 1886, a school inspector from the Department of Education visited the school and criticized the mixing of students. To satisfy the Department of Education, the school children were divided into groups by ethnicity and religious beliefs.

• Creating a Separate School