St Joseph's School Waitara - Catholic Character

We are a Year 0 to 8 Catholic School situated in Waitara. All classes attend Mass on Fridays at 9am every second week. Please follow our school calendar for dates.

These will be at St Joseph's Waitara Parish which is situated right next to our school.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

St Joseph's Waitara Parish is located at 17 Nelson Street, Waitara.

Special Catholic Character

Catholic education is above all a question of communicating with Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.'

St Pope John Paul II, 19790...

'First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth' - Pope Benedict XVI, 2008 'Catholic education gives soul to world’. - Pope Francis, 2018.

Our Special Catholic Character defines the quality of our relationships. It reminds us that when there is a struggle, we need to return to the sacredness that is in all of us and acknowledge that, although we can all make mistakes, it is important to take responsibility, to forgive the other and ourselves and then to move on. It is the 'putting right the counts.' Our school values the 5 R’s supports this journey.

Reconciliation, Responsibility, Respect, Relationships, Resilience

HISTORY

St Joseph’s school ( formerly St Patrick’s ) was staffed by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. These Mission Sisters begin with the story of the courage, faith and hope of four young French Sisters who came to New Zealand following the inspiration of Euphraise Barbier. She inspired the RNDM way of life, spirit and the Charism that now belongs to our school.

With the passing of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act in 1975, the then private 'church' schools had the opportunity to enter the state education system which allowed schools who entered, access to state funding while maintaining their 'Catholic identity.' Each school has their own integration agreement with the government and within this agreement allows for the church to retain ownership of the buildings and its Catholic character while being able to access funding on the same footing as state schools relating to curriculum.

(PRIMARY) ENROLMENT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS SEEKING ENROLMENT AT ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL WAITARA

Enrolment information is also available for this school in hard copy from our school office.

Catholic State Integrated schools select preference students on the following grounds.

The agent for determining preference is the St Joseph’s Parish Priest.
The criteria to be used by Proprietors, and their authorised agents, when determining whether or not the parents of a child have established such a particular or general religious connection with the Catholic Special Character are:

5.1 The child has been baptised or is being prepared for baptism in the Catholic Church.

5.2 The child’s parents/guardians have already allowed one or more of its siblings to be baptised in the Catholic faith.

5.3 At least one parent/guardian is a Catholic, and although their child has not yet been baptised, the child’s participation in the life of the school could lead to the parents having the child baptised.

5.4 With the agreement of the child’s parent/legal guardian, a significant familial adult such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle who is actively involved in the child’s upbringing undertakes to support the child’s formation in the faith and practices of the Catholic Church.

5.5 One or both of a child’s non-Catholic parents/guardians is preparing to become a Catholic.

State integrated schools have open places for non-preference students.
1. This school has a maximum of 11 places.
2. There are currently 3 places available.
3. Non-Preference places criteria:
  1. The applicants accept that they will be required to pay Attendance Dues as set by the Proprietor of the Diocese of Palmerston North and these are not voluntary.
  2. The applicants accept that they will be coming to a school of Catholic Special Character and that their place in the school is conditional on their participation in the programme.
4. Non- Preference Criteria that apply to this school.
  1. The siblings of non-preference students already in the school.
  2. The children of staff who seek to enrol their children.
  3. Non-preference students coming from another integrated school with the same special character.
  4. Children who live within one kilometre of the school and who want to participate in the special character programme of the school.
5. Non-preference students who cannot enrol immediately may choose to be placed on a waiting list. Students on this list are wait listed by date and number and will be contacted if places become available.
6. At the end of the calendar year the list is reviewed and people will be contacted to apply to be reinstated on the wait list for the following year.