VISION
St Mary’s College is an inclusive and liberating co-educational Catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition that aspires to excellence in learning, acting with compassion and justice and inspiring one another to shape a better world for all.
MISSION
As a faith-filled learning community in the Edmund Rice tradition, St Mary’s College provides contemporary learning opportunities that aim to nurture and challenge all to grow to their full potential. The St Mary’s College community is one of hope and joy, where all are welcome and supported. Inspired by the Gospels, we seek to act for justice and solidarity with open hearts and minds.
VALUES
At St Mary’s College, our values are deeply aligned with the Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Touchstones, which guide our mission and community. We are committed to being an Inclusive Community, where all students feel a sense of belonging and are supported to thrive. Our focus on Liberating Education ensures that every learner is empowered with the knowledge and skills to create a better future. Through Gospel Spirituality, we foster a faith-filled environment where students are encouraged to live with purpose and compassion. Finally, our dedication to Justice and Solidarity drives us to act with integrity, stand up for others, and contribute meaningfully to the world. These values shape everything we do at St Mary’s College, creating a learning environment that nurtures both hearts and minds.
TOUCHSTONES
Empowered by liberating teaching and learning experiences, we open our hearts and minds, so that we are hope-filled and free to build a better world for all.
As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition we:
- respond to Jesus’ radical message of liberation, creating learning environments where all can grow in confidence, agency and freedom.
- deeply listen to all voices in order to build communities of safety, empathy, active participation and care for wellbeing.
- recognise the strengths, capacities and needs of each learner, celebrating success and achievement which enables the realisation of aspirations and pathways.
- implement liberating practices, inspired by our First Nations people, our Church and our education partners to create authentic, flexible and relevant learning experiences.
- value critical awareness of justice and peace issues through the curriculum, service and solidarity learning, environmental practices and the culture of the school.
- promote renewal and growth through reflective and compassionate practice, formation and professional development.
- challenge and support each other to exercise agency and leadership within the school community and beyond.
- commit to cycles of learning, unlearning and relearning, to improve the educational experience of First Nations young people and the cultural competency of all Australians.
Jesus’ invitation to love, justice, compassion, peace and faith, calls us to life-giving relationships within our communities and the wider world.
As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition we:
- live and grow as a community by fostering personal relationships with God through Jesus Christ.
- celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, committed to serving those most in need.
- nurture and encourage the spiritual development of everyone through reflection, prayer, symbols, sacred stories, rituals and rites of passage.
- are inspired by the Gospel to forgive, act with compassion and seek justice as we resolve conflict.
- offer formation, spirituality and retreat experiences as fundamental components in each young person’s faith journey.
- recognise and act upon the Gospel commitment to the disenfranchised through a priority for those in need.
- discover the mystery of God in all creation, Jesus Christ, Blessed Edmund Rice and the sacred stories woven through our communities today.
- walk alongside First Nations peoples, committed to reconciliation and honouring First Nations spirituality.
- are engaged in inter-faith dialogue, honouring the sacredness lived by those from various religious traditions.
We welcome and celebrate diversity in our local, national and global communities, responsive to each person’s aspirations and needs, and committed to the common good.
As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition we:
- respond to Jesus’ command to love, nurturing the dignity of each person as uniquely reflecting the image of God.
- demonstrate a preferential option for families who might not seek enrolment due to their experience of poverty and disadvantage.
- design school programs which enable all to participate with dignity and confidence.
- welcome and value all members of the school community regardless of religion, race, ability, gender and sexual orientation.
- recognise the strengths and capacities of each member of our community and support them to develop and achieve their aspirations.
- work in partnership with the local Catholic community in serving the universal Church.
- acknowledge the service and contribution of the Christian Brothers, working in partnership with all Edmund Rice ministries in furthering the Charism.
- acknowledge the traditional ownership and heritage of the Country/s on which our school is placed, seeking to create safe places where cultural practice is respected and integrated.
- engage with, learn from, and contribute to the national and global community of Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition.
We are committed to local and global justice and peace, grounded in a spirituality of action and reflection, inspiring us to listen to, walk with and learn from all creation, especially those who experience powerlessness.
As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition we:
- in the light of Gospel practices, participate in and lead prophetic advocacy for just causes.
- learn through a curriculum that integrates themes of justice and peace, underpinned by Catholic Social Teaching.
- participate in service and solidarity learning programs in partnership with those who experience unjust structures and systems.
- grow through local and global programs in which we form relationships, work with and learn, leading to mutual transformation.
- learn from the First Nations Peoples of Australia, through truth telling, fostering local relationships and advocating for justice, equity and healing.
- are actively involved in developing global partnerships through participation in Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders.
- demonstrate a deep reverence for the earth as both God’s work and our home, working towards a sustainable and regenerative future for all creation.
- recognise we are part of a global community and actively support the development of all humanity.
- nurture a culture of critical reflection and prayerful discernment in justice and peace issues.
