Our School Values

  Our school SPARK values are derived from Jesus' teachings and guide us in all we do at St Theresa's. 

They are linked with/supported by the Josephite values. 

Our school values underpin our way of learning and growing at St Theresa's. 

We look to Jesus as our best example to show us how to live out these values in our lives. 

Our SPARK and Josephite Values are enriched by the values of  Manaakitanga and Whanaungatanga

Manaakitanga is a value or a principle which is concerned with the uplifting, fostering and nurturing the mana of the person. That is to say, manaakitanga as a value is concerned with upholding life. 

Whanaungatanga is a term for interconnectedness and relatedness. In the traditional Māori worldview, all things were considered to be connected. Traditional Māori communities maintained large genealogies for all things – birds, trees, people, fish, rocks, soil and so on. The idea is that all things are connected in a web of life. 

Whanaungatanga is a value about maintaining and fostering relationships. It is about making good connections between people and between people and our world. It is about understanding that we are all interconnected in some way and one’s thoughts and actions connect with other things.   A key idea within whanaungatanga is the term ‘whānau’ which is a term for family. 

ST THERESE AS A MODEL OF OUR VALUES

Just like St Therese the little flower, we strive in our everyday lives to 'do the little things well'

The school community gratefully acknowledges the work of Charles Royal for his invaluable input into the Maori Values.