St.Mary's School

Catholic Character

Catholic Special Character Review

The staff, children and their families have strong love of their faith and the natural way this is expressed in their daily living is one of the strength's of St. Mary's School. While they celebrate their cultural diversity, it is the Catholic Special Character that binds them together as a community.

Neil Laurenson-Manager, Catholic Education Services

The next Catholic Special Character Review will be conducted on 11-12 November 2010.

Special Character

As a Roman Catholic school, St Mary's strives to live and teach the values of Jesus Christ. In Christ we believe and through Christ we achieve - this is evident in the Religious Education program taught in the classroom, observance and instruction of Catholic beliefs and traditions, participation of the whole school community and parish in special celebrations and the atmosphere of love, care and respect amongst the students and staff of St Mary's school.

The Religious Education Program offered at St Mary's provides appropriate ways and learning experiences that teach the students about the values of Jesus Christ. These values are of gentleness, care, love, tolerance, compassion, self-control, generosity, joy, courage and acting with kindness. It is these values that we try to demonstrate and encourage our students to live by.

Maori Spirituality is an important element of Religious Education as emphasised by John Paul II in 1986, "It is as Maori that the Lord calls you, it is as Maori that you belong to the Church, the one Body of Christ". St Mary's provides a safe environment for students to form their Christian attitudes from its teachings in R.E and the living witnesses around them such as their parents, whanau-family, teachers and friends.

The essential areas of knowledge of classes throughout the year.
God - "The Almighty Father" Te Atua - Io Matua Kore
Jesus Christ - "His only Son, Our Lord" Hehe Karaiti
The Holy Spirit - "The Lord, the giver of Life" Te Wairua Tapu
Church - "Community of Disciples" Te Whanau a Te Karaiti
Sacrament Hakarameta
Communion of Saints Te Kotahitanga o Te Hunga Tapu

At St Mary's we celebrate our faith together through prayer, liturgy and the sacraments. Each term we celebrate a whole school mass with our local parish community. These masses are led by each syndicate level within the school. Through these celebrations, students are given the opportunity to celebrate through worship, song, liturgical movement and prayer. Anyone and everyone is welcome at our school masses.

If you have any enquiries with the school R.E program, you can contact Mrs Agatha Tusa Soagia (Acting Director of Religious Studies).

St Mary's School Prayer

 God our Father has made us a family
As members of one family
I need you and you need me
I love you and you love me
I forgive you and you forgive me
We work together and we pray together
We listen to God's word together and make it our own together
Together we thank the Father,
Together we reach out to others and share with them our oneness
Together we hope to rise and enjoy eternal new life
This is our faith, our hope, our way of life as a family
May the spirit within us, draw us closer until we are one in the Lord,       

 Amen.