Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui atawhai.
‘There is a clear, shared understanding of Catholic spirituality’. This is a quote from our 3 yearly Special Character Review that took place in Term 3. Our review team consisted of Monica Johnson, the previous principal of Marist College, Phillip Mahoney, manager of Catholic Education Services from the Auckland Diocese and James Bentley, the principal of St Peter’s College, Auckland. Their review is ‘to show how effective the school is in handing on the faith and forming a new generation of Catholics’.
In Spiritual formation, the team highlighted our retreat opportunities that ‘align with the school values and virtues … to provide a genuine encounter with Christ while integrating with students’ faith journeys’.
A student commented that ‘one of the highlights of our time at Carmel has been our annual Retreats ….. allowing us to simply pause and reconnect with God. We treasure these moments as they give us the opportunity to refresh our minds and find peace’.
Another highlight was that ‘staff feel supported and described the kind, caring relationships towards each other. There is a sense of belonging and common purpose, where people are listened to and acknowledged’.
With regards to Religious Education, the team found that ‘students were engaged and focussed and teacher-learner relationships were warm and respectful’ and ‘students are provided with a vast range of opportunities to learn, grow in faith and develop a mature relationship with person of Christ’.
The team described the Catholic School Community as ‘students, staff and parents speak fondly of the sense of community and pride in the school. The students appreciate the quality teaching they receive and know that staff really care for them. A group of students said that Carmel is “like a family”.
Pastoral Care ‘is seen as a moral imperative of Catholic education at Carmel so that all students are supported as individuals and treated with justice and respect. Manaakitanga is a hallmark of the school’.
Service and Outreach ‘includes outreach to those less fortunate is seen as fundamental and a key part of Special Character’. One of the students commented: “Going beyond just an academic education, Carmel instils within us a culture of compassion, helping us to become women of Mercy who see the need and make a difference, both when in uniform and without”
The summary of their review stated: ‘the Board of Trustees, Principal and staff are to be commended on the vibrant school culture with outstanding Christian witness based on Catholic Social teachings. Carmel College is a high achieving school that is a true reflection of the holistic nature of Catholic education in the context of the Mercy tradition’.
We thank the review team for this very positive review and to all those who contributed to the review, especially Rosanna Fouhy who worked tirelessly, over many months, to prepare for this very important review.
If you would like to read the full review, please click HERE
