OUR VALUES
St Mary’s is a Catholic Special Character School teaching children from New Entrants to Year 6. Our school is founded in the Mercy and Gospel values; they come from the words and letters of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Mercy Sisters / Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa who started St Mary’s School.
Aroha Love
‘We belong to God, all in us is His’
Whakapono Faith
‘Put your whole confidence in God’
Tūmanako Hope
‘Good today, better tomorrow’
OUR VISION
Whanaungatanga (sense of family) is seen through our strong relationships with home, school, whānau, parish, community and support services. At our school, all children, their families, and staff are welcomed and acknowledged. We look for and utilize people's strengths. Through working in a vibrant and fun environment, people feel safe to share their talents and contribute fully to our inclusive school. We have a shared responsibility, a partnership between home and school for the good of the learner. Through communication, sharing and learning, we are working together in the best interest of each child.
At St Mary’s School we build strong, equitable relationships and we know that each person is valued and that all people are wonderful in different ways, God has given us different qualities to share. We are there for each other, supporting each other through good and bad times, always showing our value of hope ‘good today, better tomorrow’. We show our value of love ‘we belong to God, all in us is His’ through taking time each day to value each person and treat everyone the way we want to be treated.
At St Mary’s School we are living our school values of faith (whakapono), hope (tūmanako) and love (aroha). We provide a Catholic faith environment and opportunities for our children to encounter Christ, supporting them in their hikoi wairua (spiritual journey) and sharing our own, as they become members of our faith community. We ‘put our whole confidence in God’ and try to live like Jesus did, as he is a role model for all people. As a Catholic Special Character school, we provide a foundation of knowledge which helps our children to understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. We understand that God’s grace is offered to everyone and connects us with God, each other and the world.
At St Mary’s School, Ākonga (learners) see our curriculum as relevant and see themselves reflected in what they are learning. They are connected to their community and are strong in their identities, languages, cultures, beliefs and values. At our school we believe in the concept of tuakana-teina; big people looking after little people. Children can be teachers as well as learners. We are a school that encourages risk taking and independence. Tamariki (children) leave St Mary’s School with confidence that they can manage themselves, carry who they are wherever they go, and achieve their goals, seeing themselves as lifelong learners.