Special Character
St Joseph’s School Wairoa is a Catholic School
The Special Character of our school is evident through the positive interactions between staff and students.
·Our school was established in 1911 by the Sisters of St Joseph.
We are a 3 Fold Community with close relations between the School, St Peters Parish and Tawhiti –a-Maru (St Therese)
Our School's Catholic Character provides the heart to all learning and living opportunities provided to the students of St Joseph's School.
We participate in daily Prayer and weekly Liturgies in the Church (run by different classes and groups). We celebrate Masses on special Feast Days.
Jesus is at the heart of our school and we see him as a role model.
A comprehensive and student centered Religious Education programme is taught school-wide.
A pastoral care programme operates for students and families.
Attitudes and values (Faith, Love, Service and Hope) along with the Catholic Social Teaching Principles provide the cornerstone to learning progress across the school.
Our School Values
Our Charism
Charism is the original story and spirit of our school.
Our school was founded by the sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1911. Their leader was Sister Mary Mackillop now Saint Mary of the Cross.
We challenge our staff, students and wider community of the school to live out the Charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph - “Never See a Need Without Doing Something About it” by actively seeking and recognising needs of others and helping out the best we can.
Our Four House Groups Have Special Catholic Significance
Portland (blue) –Portland was the town in Victoria, Australia, where Mary MacKillop was a teacher
Pompallier (green) – Bishop Pompallier, who at the time was the Bishop of Western Oceania, celebrated the first Catholic mass in Hokianga on January 13, 1838.
Penola (gold) – Mary Mackillop was a Nanny for the Cameron children back in Penola, Australia. This is the place where she established her first Catholic School.
Pohutukawa (red) – The colour to reflect the Pohutukawa tree of New Zealand, and the birth and resurrection of Christ