Special Character
As a Catholic school our Special Character is at the heart of all we do. Gospel values underpin our daily lives.
We value our Christian faith. We deliver a morals based education; our children should clearly understand the difference between right and wrong.
We respect each child’s uniquenes and the special attributes they bring to the school.
Our Charism – Te Wairua O Maria, the Spirit of Mary.
With these words to guide us we strive to be, first and foremost, a person who says ‘Yes” as Mary did.
We strive to live a life true to the Gospel values as Mary did. We encourage each other, support each other, respect each other and most importantly, look to Mary our Mother, in times of adversity.
You can learn about ways to help your child with their faith understanding by accessing the Family Whanau book at http://www.faithalive.org.nz/assets/Resources/Family-whanau-book.pdf
Catholic Character Review
The National Administration Guidelines (NAG 2) requires all schools to develop a Strategic Plan, maintain a programme of self review and report to the community. In Catholic Schools this process must include provision for the maintenance and development of Catholic Special Character. The review and development cycle includes annual internal self review of a key dimension of Catholic Special Character as well as an external review every four years.
From our latest review:
From the moment you enter Marist School, Mt Albert you are aware you are in a Catholic School. The Special Character shines through the warm welcome you receive, the happy, respectful atmosphere found throughout the school. Marist is a Christ centred school with a strong family and community feel.
The school community are proud of their school, its cultural awareness, inclusiveness, pastoral care and its academic achievements. The school’s Board of Trustees, senior leadership team, committed staff, strong connection with the Parish and very supportive families provide a nurturing environment for children who love coming to school. They focus on the whole child, spiritually, emotionally, physically, culturally and academically. The students at Marist School learn to be responsible for their learning and their behaviour.
The senior students interviewed by the reviewers were living testament that the school is achieving what the community aspires to in their Mission Statement:
“Inspired by Mary, we use our Head, Heart and Hands to know, live and share the joy of the Gospel”.
(Marist School Charter – Mission statement)
The school provides many opportunities for each child to have a genuine and ongoing encounter with Christ, to grow in knowledge and understanding of Christ’s teaching and to live a life of Christian witness within the Catholic Church .
Click here to read the full review: 2019 Catholic Character Review Report
School Mass
We celebrate a week day school mass each term and parents and families are warmly invited to join us. Children are also invited to contribute items to the St Mary’s foodbank on these occasions.
Liturgies
School liturgies are an important part of our Friday morning assemblies. Parents and families are welcome to join us for these celebrations. We also acknowledge the ‘specialness’ of students and celebrate individual and team successes at these assemblies.
Prayers
Prayer is an essential part of daily school life. Each classroom has a prayer centre as a focus. Classes begin each day in prayer so it is important that all children arrive at school on time so as not to miss, or interrupt, this important start to the day.