EC2 - September 2014 EC2 - September 2014 | Page 11

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INDEPENDENT

portive environment which fosters a sense
of community and, by doing so, offers effective learning and teaching programmes
which encourage personal excellence and a
lifelong love of learning.
Brother Pat Lynch, a former high school
principal and now chief executive officer at
the NZ Catholic Education Office, believes
it is the “special character” of Catholic schools, founded on a strong sense of
heritage and tradition, which makes them
appealing even to non-believers.
“There’s an established values system
between the school, its community and its
parents,” says Brother Pat. “This provides
consistency and allows us to build on these
values so everyone knows where the boundaries are, what acceptable behaviour is and
what the expectations are. We don’t shy
away from the importance of excellence in
education – indeed in all realms – and we
provide a solid platform upon which to build.
“We acknowledge the spiritual dimension of humanity and we’re upfront about
that, about giving life meaning in terms of
our context.”
Sanet Bircham is the Year 9 Dean at
Marist College where she teaches Maths,
Physical Education and Social Studies. Her
daughter Amelia, 12, is a Year 8 pupil at
Marist. The family is Baptist, not Catholic, yet decided to send Amelia to Marist
because of its philosophy and ethos.
“Being in the environment as a teacher,
I could see it was an inclusive one where
each of the girls excelled and it mirrored
our values as a family. We are a family
who believes in sharing and doing things
together, in the importance of community
and of always giving one’s best.”
Amelia, who was actively involved in the
decision-making process, acknowledges
she found her first ͥ