Our Vision, Values & Principles

Our School Vision

Mission Statement: To be in right relationship with God, with ourselves and others, and with creation.

For our school community this means…

To be in right relationship with God we always do our best, we show respect for ourselves and we practise our Catholic faith. To be in right relationship with ourselves and others we follow the example of Jesus, we communicate well, we serve others, we contribute and we take care of ourselves. To be in right relationship with creation we take responsibility for our actions, we contribute to sustaining the environment, we look after our living world and we learn about the world around us.

Our Gospel Values 

St Joseph’s Catholic School values are: To Love, to Learn, to Lead.

Our School NZC Students will be encouraged to show these values:

To Love: showing equity, through fairness and social justice to respect themselves, others, and human rights.

To Learn: showing innovation, inquiry, and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively.

To Lead: showing excellence, by aiming high and by persevering in the face of difficulties community and participation for the common good.

Aligning our school values to the NZ Curriculum as followers of Jesus Christ, St Joseph’s School is committed to holistic education, and the awareness of local, national and global social justice issues, supported by the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. These are embedded in our Catholic foundations and reflected in our mission statement: “Excellent Education befitting our Catholic Character”

St Joseph’s Catholic School Principles

TRINITY, EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, FAITH, ENVIRONMENT and FOUNDATIONS

TRINITY:  

Matua, Tamaiti, Wairua Tapu.

We are a community that demonstrates aroha, tika and pono in our relationships with each other.

How does this relate to NZ Curriculum Principles?

Cultural diversity: The curriculum reflects New Zealand’s cultural diversity and values the histories and traditions of all its’ people.

Inclusion: The curriculum is non-sexist, non-racist, and non-discriminatory; it ensures that students’ identities, languages, abilities, and talents are recognized and affirmed and that their learning needs are addressed.

EDUCATION:

We are empowered through collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, to strive for excellence and reach our personal potential. This means that..

• We Love Learning
• We strive to do our best.
• We think creatively.
• We are willing to try new things.
• We can communicate.
• We know how to learn.

How does this relate to NZ Curriculum Principles?

High Expectations: The curriculum supports and empowers all students to learn and achieve personal excellence, regardless of their individual circumstances.

Learning to Learn: he curriculum encourages all students to reflect on their own learning processes and to learn how to learn.

LEADERSHIP:

We use innovative ideas to be excellent role models serving our community and using our talents to inspire others. This means that..

• We are becoming excellent role models serving our community
• We are using our talents to shine
• We help each other to be great.
• We look for new ideas

How does this relate to NZ Curriculum Principles?

Coherence: The curriculum offers all students a broad education that makes links within and across learning areas, provides for coherent transitions, and opens up pathways to further learning.

FAITH:

Building on the charism of our founding order, the RNDMS, we apply the teachings of the Catholic Church and gospel values in living our daily lives. This means that..

• We have Catholic beliefs
• We live by Jesus’ example
• We continue our school traditions

How does this relate to NZ Curriculum Principles?

Community engagement: The curriculum has meaning for students, connects with their wider lives, and engages the support of their families, whānau, and communities.

ENVIRONMENT:

We are active participants in caring for our environment as guardians – Kaitiaki for future generations. This means that..

• We care for the earth
• We respect each other
• We are active participants
• We are looking after the earth for the next generation

How does this relate to the NZ Curriculum Principles?

Future focus: The curriculum encourages students to look to the future by exploring such significant future-focused issues as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise, and globalization.

FOUNDATIONS:

Together we are strong – We build on the vision of those who came before us, acknowledging our bicultural identity and the diverse strengths of our community. This means that..

• Together we are strong
• We follow the Treaty of Waitangi
• We are all friends of our school community

How does this relate to the NZ Curriculum Principles?

Treaty of Waitangi: The curriculum acknowledges the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. All students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.