School Values

At St Patrick's School we strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his teachings as we work hard to be "Children of the Light". Our Gospel values of Mana (every child knowing they are loved, valued and gifts from God), Aroha (showing love for self, others and the world), and Pono (being honest with self and others), are demonstrated through our actions and words as we pray, learn and play together.

Charism

Our school was opened and blessed on 12th March 1944 by the late Bishop J O'Neill. There was a roll of 30 students with the staff being Sisters of the Dominican Order. We have a rich family history firmly embedded in our Catholic traditions. Our purpose today as it was all those years ago, is to provide a quality education in a Catholic environment. We are proud to be a Dominican school. The Dominican charism is based on truth, learning, discovery, thinking, excellence, prayer, community and service or mission. We live by the Dominican motto of "Veritas" - meaning truth. The Dominican pillars of prayer, learning, community and service are evident in our school and our learning.

Pastoral Care and Social Justice

Our motto is "That you may be children of the light" which means that we are called to be witnesses to our Catholic faith and to be the face of Christ to others. Our school demonstrates a strong commitment to Pastoral Care and Social Justice. 

Throughout his life Jesus demonstrated the importance of caring for, and loving others. His life was the perfect example of living by the principals of Social Justice - to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). And so, we work together as a school community to ensure the care of the students, staff, our families and the members of the wider community.

Some of the ways we are "Children of the Light":

* A school whānau who reach out to our community in times of grief or celebration

* Support of families who may need some financial assistance

* Year 4-6 students Young Vinnies group who focus on different social justice projects throughout the year

* Praying for others and making connections

* Supporting the work of Caritas

* Assisting with the cleaning and gardening of our church