Welcome Marist College is a Year 7 – 13 Catholic Secondary School for girls. Our College is situated in Mt Albert, approximately 10 minutes drive from central Auckland, New Zealand. Our Motto, Ad Jesum per Mariam, to Jesus through Mary provides the focus for each individual to develop their potential to the full. Marist College offers a holistic education complementing your work as parents. We strive to attain high standards in our academic, cultural and sporting endeavours, all with an added dimension – spiritual. We encourage personal excellence and a love of learning, catering for the individual within a very caring Catholic environment. Students come from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and the College promotes inclusion and celebrates diversity. Our students leave Marist College strong, confident, resilient young women, prepared to face our ever changing world. We hope the information in this prospectus will provide an insight into the quality Catholic education available at Marist College. Yours sincerely
Monica Johnson Principal
A Marist Tradition Marist College is a school of shared Christian values where the whole community encourages and supports one another.
History of Marist College
Special Character
The Marist tradition of education originated in France in the early 19th century with Jean-Claude Colin and Marcellin Champagnat. Jeanne Marie Chavoin and Jean-Claude Colin founded the Marist Sisters. The Marist Sisters established Marist College in Mt Albert in 1928. The College values its traditions and its continued links with the Marist Sisters.
Students at Marist College are fully involved in the planning for and participation in liturgical celebration whether it be the weekly class masses, held in the Marist Sisters Chapel, or the school masses celebrated with the full school community.
The special character of the College as defined in its Integration Agreement is as follows: “The school is a Roman Catholic School in which the whole school community, through the general school programme and its instruction and observances, exercises the right to live and teach the values of Jesus Christ. These values are expressed in the Scriptures and in the practices, worship and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church as determined from time to time by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland�. The special character of Marist College is evident in our daily prayer, our regular celebration of the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation and in the formal study of Religious Education as part of our core curriculum, following the New Zealand Religious Education programme. The way we do things at Marist College is underpinned by the Gospel Values.
Marist Day is celebrated in August around the Feast of the Assumption. It brings the full Marist community together in a special way - celebrating our being Marist. A commitment to Christian Service is reflected in the many school groups active in the wider community and the social justice activities at school such as St. Vincent de Paul and Amnesty International. Marist College provides a caring and supportive environment. It is a school of shared Christian values where the whole community encourages and supports one another. A strength of Marist College is the vertical House and Tutor grouping, where students of all ages develop confidence with their peers and learn to relate well to other age groups.
The Marist College Way Students are at the centre of all that we do. We aim to know students personally in order that they fulfil their true potential in all areas: striving to become the people God wants them to be.
In Mary’s Way
Family Spirit
Presence
Empowerment
Bringing the Gospel of Jesus to the world Thinking, judging, feeling and acting as Mary would in the world today
Fostering a sense of belonging, encouragement, unconditional love and acceptance of each person
Engaging fully in life, in a simple, gentle, compassionate way working to build community
Fostering a sense of self worth and confidence in each person so they may fulfil their potential for excellence
Achieving Academic Excellence
Teaching and Learning in Years 7 – 10 We are committed to ensuring that in Years 7 – 10, we are responsive to the needs of our students who are “undergoing rapid physical development, becoming increasingly socially aware and encountering increasingly complex curriculum contexts” (Learning in Years 7 – 10, New Zealand Curriculum). The Year 7 – 10 classes are mixed ability, in most learning areas, for delivery of curriculum. Mathematics is streamed. Year 7 classes have a home room and a home room teacher, who teaches the class in at least three learning areas, to ensure strong connection and pastoral relationship. There is a well-planned and co-ordinated programme from Years 7 to 10 that is student centred, is designed to meet the needs of our students and links with the Key Competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum in each learning area. Specialist subject staffing and facilities are integral to the delivery of the Year 7 – 10 curriculum.
Teaching and Learning in Years 11 – 13 Consistent with our holistic philosophy of education, Marist College offers a broad range of curriculum choices from Years 11 – 13. In these years the “Curriculum allows for greater choice and specialisation as students …ideas about future direction become clearer”. (Learning in Years 11 – 13, New Zealand Curriculum). Marist College aims to maintain a responsive curriculum which recognises the diversity of aspirations and abilities of our students and enables them to achieve personal standards of academic excellence.
Continuing high levels of achievement. High quality teaching practices.
Curriculum Marist College offers a broad curriculum with all subjects leading to national qualifications in Years 11, 12 and 13. Religious Education is a compulsory subject across all year levels.
Years 7 to 9 Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 complete a compulsory course including Religious Education, Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Dance, Technology, Drama, Physical Education, Health, Maori, French and Chinese. Marist College offers a competitive advantage to Year 7 and 8 students with access to specialist rooms with specialist teachers.
Year 10 Students continue with the core curriculum of Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Sciences. They also select two subjects from the Arts, Technologies or Languages curriculum.
Year 11 S tudents enter seven subjects for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1. All students study Religious Education, English, Mathematics and a Science subject. They also select three subjects from across all curriculum levels.
Year 12 Students enter seven subjects for NCEA Level 2 and other NZQA National Certificates. All students study Religious Education and English. They also select five subjects from across all curriculum areas.
Year 13 Students enter for six subjects for NCEA Level 3 and other NZQA National Certificates. All students study Religious Education. Many students choose to enter Scholarship examinations at this level.
Please refer to back pocket of this prospectus for more details.
Marist College is proud of the academic achievements of our students in National Qualifications. Pastoral care a continuing strength of the school - a real sense of nurturing.
Sports
At Marist College girls are encouraged to be involved in sporting activities. A wide range of sport is available and girls will be able to find a team that suits their interest and level of ability. Participation in sport is seen as a way of increasing teamwork, leadership and pride among the girls.
Sports available include: Athletics Badminton Basketball Cricket Cross Country Dragon Boating
Gymnastics Hockey Kilikiti Netball Soccer Swimming
Tennis Touch Rugby Triathlon Volleyball Water Polo
Outdoor Education Girls are expected to attend Outdoor Education camps in Years 8 and 10. Activities are varied and provide a challenge in a setting removed from the normal classroom environment. Those students taking Physical Education as an NCEA subject also have a camp in Year 11, 12 and 13.
Committed staff with a shared vision.
Culture A holistic education includes involvement in cultural activities. At Marist College we encourage students to be involved in a range of co-curricular activities which include:
Music The Music Department offers a variety of opportunities for performance music. Within the College, music groups include: School Orchestra, Jazz Band, Chamber Music groups and choirs. Girls can compete annually for the Singing Cup, and perform at The Big Sing and APPA Choir Festival.
Drama Marist College offers the chance to participate in dramatic and musical productions or Stage Challenge. These enable a large number of girls to participate in acting, dancing, music or production.
Debating School teams compete in inter-collegiate competitions in addition to year level competitions. Public speaking competitions are held annually.
Cultural Groups A variety of cultural groups are active within the school. These groups enable the girls to explore a range of cultures. The various groups perform at the annual Family Festival and compete at events such as the ASB Polyfest.
Young Designer Awards Marist College offers students the opportunity to be involved in the National Young Designer Awards and other competitions.
Many opportunities for the school community to come together. Culture of mutual respect.
International Students
Marist College provides a welcoming, safe and friendly environment for international students to experience school-life in New Zealand. The school provides supportive and caring teaching staff and homestays with New Zealand families. ESOL courses are available to support the student’s learning. At Marist College international students are treated as individuals and programmes are worked out to suit each student according to their needs and goals. All international students are encouraged to achieve academically and also to be fully involved in the life of the College.
What some of our international students say about our school: ‘As an international student, I enjoy the life at Marist College. Marist girls are all very nice and welcoming. They are always helpful even if they don’t know you. The way they show their welcome is that they always want to walk around the school with you and introduce the facilities.’ ‘Marist College provides a good study environment for international students. For example we are given a buddy so we would feel confident and comfortable about our language and we don’t need to worry about friendship because our buddy becomes our best friend.’ ‘It is nice to join with the Kiwi girls but it is also nice to have a special room for international students so that we can relax and talk together.’
Goals To provide an authentic Catholic education in the Marist Tradition. To implement the New Zealand Curriculum with all teaching staff having collective responsibility for developing challenging programmes for effective learning. To promote a culture of excellence through which all students develop the skills to achieve success as life-long learners. To ensure educationally powerful connections between students, staff, families, whanau and community. To resource strategically to enable optimum delivery of school priorities.