Catholic Character
Special Catholic Character
Special Catholic Character Evaluation 2023
Holy Family Catholic School is a special character school. Religious and Faith Education is an intrinsic and in cultured means of delivering education. It is the active delivery of the key principles that underpin the reasons that catholic schools exist and the point of difference that make integrated schools special:
Commitment to God
Commitment to our Students
Commitment to Parents and Caregivers
Commitment to the Community
Commitment to Education
Commitment to Ourselves
It is manifest through:
Our responsibility to uphold the Catholic Special Character of our school.
Our mandate to put the well-being of our students first, respecting their rights and dignity, nurturing their individual sense of self-worth and serving their spiritual, academic and human needs.
Our focus on delivering the best possible educational programmes that suit each student, enabling them to reach their fullest potential.
Our delivery of the best possible Religious Education programmes for our students, and to relate these programmes to their daily lives and to challenge them to live the gospel values.
Religious Education in the classroom encompasses:
Teaching and learning what the Catholic Church believes and teaches.
Understanding and appreciating the ways the Catholic Church celebrates, lives and prays.
Teaching children how to respond freely to God according to their gift of faith.
Delivering the essence and spirit of the Gospel Values and the Bible stories
The Director of Religious Studies (Miss Mary O'Neill) is always available to discuss questions about our special character: alternatively information about the Catholic Church, Catholic Education and our Special Character can be found in the following webpages -
Parish Sacramental Programmes
The sacraments mark important milestones in the children’s faith which are celebrated by the whole school and parish community. At Holy Family Catholic School we encourage our students to celebrate the sacraments and we support them, in partnership with the parish to undertake the sacramental programmes.
The three sacraments of initiation are baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. Traditionally in the Catholic Church of New Zealand, in the case of children, this initiation process is extended over a number of years.
Parents are the first educators in faith. A child’s faith comes from the family who nurtures it. The parish and school accompany and support families in this. Most children are baptised as infants and then when old enough prepared for the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist which complete the initiation process.
Participation in the Church’s sacramental life is the means through which people enter more fully the faith life of the community.
Catholic Diocese of Dunedin Website