Tēnā koe, Welcome
Tēnā koe; a very warm welcome to our school’s website. As Tumuaki/ Principal, I am proud to lead St Benedict’s School – a place where each tauira/student, kaimahi/staff member and matua/parent is valued for their contribution to this vibrant community.
An Invitation to See our Kura/School in Action
St Benedict’s is a New-Entrant to Year 8 School which offers a faith-based education while providing a stimulating, challenging and well-rounded curriculum. We specialise in creating E.P.I.C. tamariki who are engaged and active learners who enjoy school and are proud to be St Benedict’s tamariki.
On behalf of our staff, our school’s Board and our HOK committee I extend a warm welcome to you all and encourage current and prospective parents alike, to come and experience the wonderful learning that takes place in our busy school. It would be my pleasure to show you around our kura.
Catholic Character
As a Catholic school our spiritual values are integrated into all aspects of the school culture. We are proud to be Catholic and live our faith actively through daily prayer, Religious Education programmes and shared liturgies with the St Benedict’s parish. Importantly, our Catholic character and the values we display influence positively all relationships within the school community.
We place a strong emphasis on the E.P.I.C. Gospel Values. The values of Empathy, Perseverance, Integrity and Creativity have been developed from our founding order The Brigidine Sisters. These underpin everything we do.
School Vision
Our school motto ‘Developing our Children’s Minds, Growing our Children’s Hearts’ aligns with our school’s vision of being a school community which, in partnership with families and through our Catholic values, creates strong foundations where our students can truly become the best they can be, both now and in the future.
A Committed, Dynamic and Experienced Kaimahi /Staff
The success of our school lies in the dynamic tamaiti (child) -kaiako (teachers) relationship. We are very fortunate to have an experienced and dedicated team of kaiako (teachers), awhina Kaiako (teaching assistants) and kaimahi (staff). Over the course of a year our kura offers a range of extra-curricular camps, day trips, clubs and events to nurture the holistic development of all tamariki.
Our Curriculum
Along with The New Zealand Curriculum Framework covering eight defined learning areas, we also follow the comprehensive Religious Education Programme for Catholic Schools in Aotearoa.
Our all-encompassing programmes combine nurture of the individual with engaging learning experiences. This allows us to support and meet the holistic needs of all students at each stage of their development.
Our Tamariki
Our students are happy, polite, enthusiastic and motivated to learn. They are the jewel in our crown and as such make us proud when achieving highly in academic, sporting and cultural activities. We take advantage of a plethora of opportunities which allow our students to further develop and foster a love of learning.
At St Benedict’s our students are committed to participating fully in the life of the School. We are confident that when it’s time to leave our school, our students go on to secondary schools well equipped for the challenges that lie ahead, and with a passion for lifelong learning.
Parents as Partners, The Church and Our Community
At St Benedict’s School we are fortunate to have the full support of our parent body. As such we embrace parents as partners and actively seek ways for parents to enjoy our students’ learning journey.
We also enjoy an excellent relationship with St Benedict’s Church and the wider St Francis of Assisi Ohariu Parish.
Developing a strong sense of community and belonging is at the centre of growing partnerships. We understand that positive relationships are at the heart of students achieving success, and so we strive to be inclusive and active members of our community.
School Board and HoK (Help our Kids)
We are fortunate to have a knowledgeable and passionate School Board. Their diverse talents and ability to work collaboratively for the continued improvement of our school is vital.
We are blessed with an engaged HOK committee who actively fundraise to provide additional resources for the school. Additionally, HOK supports new families integrating into our school along with hosting many events for our school families to socialise together as a community.
Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki, e tiaki hoki
May God bless and care for you,
Tania Savage – Principal – St Benedict’s School