Welcome to Marist School, Mt Albert.Marist Mt Albert Spirit of Mary logo



This booklet is designed to help you through the school year. We look forward to developing a positive relationship as we work together in partnership to progress your child’s education.

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.

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.

Absences, lateness and withdrawals

Regular and punctual attendance is a requirement of the Education Act. If your child is absent, please telephone or email the office (absent@marist.school.nz) to notify us and please send a note of explanation on their return to school. The school is audited on its roll and absences need to be explained to the auditors. All unexplained absences will be followed up by a phone call.

You can also record an absence on our SchoolApp.  Please download SchoolAppNZ on your phone or tablet.

Any requests to withdraw a child from school, for any reason, must be sent to the Principal in writing (principal@marist.school.nz). Under the Education Act, only the Principal can grant permission for children to be withdrawn from school. This should be done prior to the time/day of the withdrawal.

Accidents

In the case of serious accidents or head injuries, every effort will be made to contact parents/caregivers immediately. We need to be informed of any changes to your phone number or address. In case of an emergency your child will be taken directly to an A&E.

Friday Assemblies

At 2.15pm fortnightly on Friday afternoons, Celebration Assemblies are held in the Church. These are occasions to come together and celebrate as a Marist School family. Each class takes a turn to lead the prayer and showcase a Gospel story or an aspect of our school life. During the gathering students receive certificates and awards in recognition of academic, sporting or behavioural achievements. Parents and whanau are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Board of Trustees 2024

Presiding Member                                              Amy Smith

Principal                                                               Carolynn Phillips

Parent representatives

  • Kris Baker
  • Margaret Joiner
  • Masha Nair
  • Michelle Plant
  • Silao Taulu

Proprietor’s representatives

  • Achala Perera
  • Ramona Southern
  • Amy Smith
  • Robert O’Connor

Staff representative                                           Brya Lister

Charter

The School Charter and Strategic Plan is revised annually, approved by the Board of Trustees, and forwarded to the Ministry of Education. Copies of the Charter are available for perusal from the School Office.

Change of address

It is extremely important that parents can be contacted in an emergency. Please ensure that the school always has up-to-date home and emergency phone numbers.

Class placements

Children are placed in classes according to a wide range of criteria including age, previous placements, and their learning needs. Class placements are at the discretion of the Principal in consultation with teachers.

In our school composite classes are used as we feel they enable us a greater number of options to ensure the best possible placement for your child. The combination of the composites may vary from year to year according to the numbers at each level. Children will be taught at their  level and are not disadvantaged from working in a composite.

In any one class students may be working at a range of levels, both in the different learning areas, and within a single learning area. They will work at their own rate while being encouraged to strive for higher goals.

                                                                                   The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, Ministry of Education.

Concerns

If you have a concern, a worry or a problem, please contact your child’s teacher in the first instance. Most problems are easily sorted out if they are dealt with early.

Family holidays during term time

Family holidays during term time are discouraged by the Principal and Board of Marist School, due to the disruption to learning and teaching when long absences occur. However, if the family wishes to remove a child during term time, they are asked to write a letter (or email) to the Principal communicating their intentions at least 5 days before the intended absence.

Fostering independence

We value the partnership we have with parents and welcome the opportunities we have to help children become confident and indepedent learners. We know that:

  • Children are capable of looking after their own belongings, getting themselves ready for the classroom day, hanging up their own bags and tidying up after themselves. Children need to be expected to and allowed to, do these things.
  • Making mistakes is an essential part of learning.
  • Children have different strengths and skills.
  • We are loved for what we are, not for what we can do.
  • Being successful meand doing our very best, not being better than others.

Health and Safety

All visitors and contractors are required to sign in and out at the office. All parents on-site between 9:00am and 3:00pm must sign in and out at the office. This is a requirement under the Health and safety in the Work place Act.

Home learning

We believe that home learning must be relevant to the classroom programme and appropriate to the class level. Home learning can be a major cause of stress for families. Busy parents need quality interactions with their children, not arguments about homework. To this end we endeavour to set regular, manageable home learning that can mostly be completed by the student. Home learning should:

  • develop study habits and organisational skills
  • encourage a positive and responsible learning attitude
  • develop independence in children’s learning
  • provide opportunities for participation and sharing with parents/caregivers
  • reinforce learning already covered in the classrooms

Home learning will usually involve daily reading, the learning of basic mathematics facts, spelling words, Religious Education activities, and for Years 5 & 6 completing or reinforcing learning from class.

Parents are encouraged to support home learning activities, but we do not expect you to ‘do the home learning’. This does not foster independence. Teachers will follow up on students who are not completing the required tasks.

Houses

The school has four Houses. These are used for classroom and school based activities and for sports day competitions.  The Houses are:

Austin (yellow), Bernard (green), Chavoin (red) and Pompallier (blue). The four Houses are named after men and women important to our Marist history.

Children are allocated a House upon enrolment and given a House badge. They are part of this House for the duration of their time at Marist. Families are in the same Houses.

Marist Houses

Knowledge Nest

Each class visits the school library every week and children have the opportunity to choose books to bring home for a week. New books cannot be issued unless the previous ones have been checked back in. Families will be asked to replace lost or damaged books. Every child needs a book bag for their library books.

Lost Property

Please ensure your child’s clothing is named. In the event that items of school uniform have been misplaced, students are encouraged to look in the lost property box located in the school office.

Newsletters

School newsletters are emailed out to your nominated email address and can be viewed on the school website.

Office hours

Mrs Denise Da Costa-Sampson works as the office manager along with her assistants Mrs Bethany Lockie and Mrs Carla Smith.     Their hours are 8.30am – 3.30pm.

Parent Help

We welcome and encourage parents to become involved in the life of the school. There are many opportunities, such as:

  • Helping in the classrooms as the need arises
  • Helping on school trips and events
  • Supporting school functions, both social and educational
  • Coaching sports teams
  • Helping process and repair resources and books
  • Joining the PTFA

Parking

We expect all parents to model the correct road safety procedures. Pick-up and drop-off times are busy and we would ask that You help keep all our children safe by obeying all no parking signs and road markings and displaying road courtesy to each other.

Privacy

Marist upholds the requirements of the Privacy Act and takes all reasonable steps to ensure that all information is treated in confidence and only used for the purpose for which it is intended. To this end, we are unable to release contact details of other parents or children, or use images/ photos of students without permission.

We request that while parents are in the classroom they refrain from:

  • Looking at books or work belonging to other students, unless it is on display
  • Looking at or accessing materials or information held on a teachers’ desk.

We also ask that parents who take photos or video footage at school events exercise caution with the distribution of these images especially through websites such as Facebook or Youtube.

Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA)

This group of people have a focus on creating opportunities to enhance the Marist School family and to support the school through fundraising for extra resources. Meetings are held monthly in the school staffroom and you are warmly invited to come along.

Reporting

Parent / Teacher /Student conferences are held in term 1.

Parent / Teacher conferences are held in term 2 to discuss academic progress, your child’s learning goals and what you can do at home to help and support their learning.

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School Term Dates 2024

Term 1                                      Thursday 1st February              Friday 12th April

Term 2                                      Wednesday 29th April              Friday 5th July

Term 3                                      Monday 22nd July                     Friday 27th Sept

Term 4                                      Monday 14th October                Friday 13th December

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School Fees 2023

Attendance Dues $516 (i.e. $129.00 per term)

Special Character Contribution  $60 (i.e. $15.00 per term)

Board of Trustees Contribution $TBC

Activities/School Trip Contribution $TBC

Religious Education Fee $10.00

Stationery costs will vary depending on year level.

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School timetable

9.00am                    School commences

3.00pm                     Finish of school

Staff are on playground duty during playtime and lunchtime. Please note there is no formal supervision of children outside of the 8.30am-3.15 time frame, therefore it is very important that children are dropped off and picked up at times as close as possible to the bell time. Children, not picked up directly from the classroom, will wait on the Kitenui Avenue side of the school.  An 8.30 bell signals that classrooms are open and children may hang up their bags and get prepared for their day. During school hours children are not permitted to leave the school grounds unless accompanied by a parent.

School uniform

The wearing of our school uniform is compulsory. Please ensure that all items of clothing are clearly and indelibly named.

Summer

Girls                 School dress, school jersey, school sunhat, black sandals.

Boys                 Short sleeved blue cotton shirt, navy all-seasons shorts, school jersey, school sunhat, black sandals.

Winter  

Girls                  School tunic, long sleeved blue blouse, school jersey, black school shoes, black tights or white ankle socks.

Boys                  Long sleeved blue shirt, navy all-seasons shorts, school jersey, black school shoes, knee high navy socks.

Sports uniform

Girls & Boys –  School sports shirt, school sports sweatshirt, school sports shorts.

If your child is wearing incorrect uniform for a day or two, a note must be brought to the class teacher. Any long term problems need to be discussed with the Teacher or Principal.

Watches and simple pierced earring studs are acceptable but no other jewellery may be worn. Nail polish may not be worn. Hair accessories should be simple and match the uniform ie, black, blue or white.

Our school uniform is seen as an important part of our school culture and students are expected to wear the correct uniform at all times including when they arrive and leave school each day.  Please support us in this.

Smoke Free Environment

Under the Smoke Free Environments Act, Marist School is smoke free at all times. Smoking is not permitted in or around school buildings or in any part of the grounds, at any time.

Sports

The school holds its own competition in cross country and athletics.  The school also participates in the local zone competitions. Teams are generally selected from the senior school for the following sports:

  • swimming
  • rippa rugby
  • touch
  • cross country
  • rugby
  • netball
  • soccer
  • cricket
  • softball
  • athletics
  • gymnastics
  • hockey

Staff 2024

Leadership team

Carolynn Phillips                                                                    Principal

Jo-anne Suelto                                                                       Deputy Principal

Janet Lulich                                                                            Assistant Principal

Marie Walker                                                                          Director of Religious Studies

Teachers

Christine Allen

Marisca Britz

Simon Collins

Deborah Esther

Erica Gracias

Vicki Hartstronge

Amy Hayward

Dot Howard-Smith

Erena Kolodzinki

Catherine Lal

Brya Lister

Shauna McGlinchey

Niamh McKiernan

Anne MacLeod

Anne Politini

Nicola Richardson

Marie Walker

Rosemary Young

Office staff

Denise Da Costa-Sampson

Bethany Lockie

Carla Smith

Teacher Aides

Sophie Douglas

Catriona Kelly

Caoimhe McLaughlin

Amanda Olliver

Kirsten Wolfgramm

Maintenance/Groundsman

Rex Woodward

Staff contact / Parent appointments

The Staff are  more than happy to assist you in any way possible. If you would like to arrange an appointment with your child’s class teacher, either speak to the teacher persoanlly to make an appointment or leave a message at the school office. Teachers are often unable to talk with you during interval and lunchtimes, so when you leave a message, please include an after hours contact.

Stationery

Replacement stationery items are available from the school office.

Student Health and Welfare

Our Public Health nurse visits the school on request to monitor our students’ health.

Medication

When students need to be on medication the class teacher should be informed. Parents whose children are required to take medication during school hours are required to inform the office staff who will ask you to sign a consent form. All medical supplies will be kept in a secure place.

Healthy food

Quality food enhances your child’s learning potential. For this reason we discourage sweets, fizzy drinks and highly coloured and flavoured snack foods at school.  Please ensure that your child has adequate food and drink each day.

Sun smart 

Children must wear a school hat at all times they are outside during terms 1 and 4. This includes coming to and from school. Children without a hat will be required to stay in the shade areas during breaks and will be unable to participate in outside activities.

Nits

Nits are an ongoing problem in all schools. For this reason we ask that all students ( girls and boys) with hair below shoulder length have it tied back. This helps prevent the spread of nits between children. If there is a concern about nits in a particular room(s) then you will be notified. We ask that you treat your child(ren) as soon as possible and ask that you do not send your child(ren) back to school until this has been done.

Toys/Games/Personal property

We prefer children to keep toys and other  items of value at home. The BOT and staff accept no responsibility in the case of loss or damage to valuables or articles brought to school.

Children are discouraged from bringing cellphones to school. If there are circumstances that require one to be brought to school the cellphone must be handed into the office before school and collected at the end of the day.

Trips

In order to enrich the teaching programme and enhance learning, teachers plan visits to places of interest outside the school. A letter outlining the trip will be sent prior to the event and all out of school visits have an educational objective related to the curriculum.