St Patrick’s Catholic School, Taumarunui, was established in 1916 by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Our school is located in Taumarunui, a small rural town in the Ruapehu District in the Central North Island of New Zealand. St Patrick’s caters for students both in town and from the outlying rural areas.
We are the most southern Catholic school of the Hamilton Diocese and belong to the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Taumarunui, and our school is well supported by parishioners.
Our school provides a high quality Catholic Education for students, Years 1 – 8. The school is sited in a quiet neighborhood on 12 High Street in Taumarunui. It boasts pleasant grounds with ample space for children to play and exercise.
St Patrick’s Catholic School, Taumarunui, is a welcoming, sacred place which provides the opportunity for our students to learn through our Catholic Special Character and the Religious Education programme. The Special Catholic character permeates all aspects of school life; our mission and values are lived in all we do. Our committed staff uphold our Christian values and are outstanding role models for students. Students are well cared for and encouraged to learn in this nurturing environment. This creates the caring family atmosphere that is our school.
We are the most southern Catholic school of the Hamilton Diocese and belong to the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Taumarunui, and our school is well supported by parishioners.
Our school provides a high quality Catholic Education for students, Years 1 – 8. The school is sited in a quiet neighborhood on 12 High Street in Taumarunui. It boasts pleasant grounds with ample space for children to play and exercise.
St Patrick’s Catholic School, Taumarunui, is a welcoming, sacred place which provides the opportunity for our students to learn through our Catholic Special Character and the Religious Education programme. The Special Catholic character permeates all aspects of school life; our mission and values are lived in all we do. Our committed staff uphold our Christian values and are outstanding role models for students. Students are well cared for and encouraged to learn in this nurturing environment. This creates the caring family atmosphere that is our school.
We believe that our school has to be a sacred place where everyone in our community - parents/whanau, students and staff are encouraged to deepen their relationship with Jesus by the way we live our lives.
We are encouraged to see Jesus in all we meet. We are encouraged to pray and know that Jesus is the reason that makes our school different from all of the other schools in Taumarunui. This is our Special Catholic Character.
Prayer is central to what we do, our school day starts with prayer, our staff pray together, we encourage our students into a life of prayer.
Our Special Catholic Character defines the quality of our relationships. It reminds us that when there is conflict, that we need to return to the sacredness that is in all of us and acknowledge that, although we can all mistakes, it is important to take responsibility, to forgive the other and ourselves and then to move on. It is the 'putting right the counts.'
We are known as a State Integrated school, part of the State Integrated school system in New Zealand of which the Catholic church represents the largest group of schools.
Prior to 1975, Catholic schools were private entities that had formed in communities by parish communities who desired a catholic education for their children and so 'built' the schools and actively sort religious orders to staff their schools.
At St Patrick's the community encouraged the Sisters of St Joseph of the Scared Heart, 'the Brown Joes', an Australian based order founded by St Mary of the Cross MacKillop who became Australia's first Saint in 2016. This order of sisters worked with poor children and families and followed the workers into Taumarunui actually down the main trunk line. The charisma of the Josephites is very much part of the school's ethos in echoing Mary MacKillop's words' 'never see a need without doing something about it.'
With the passing of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act in 1975, the then private 'church' schools had the opportunity to enter the state education system which allowed schools who entered, access to state funding while maintaining their 'Catholic identity.' Each school has their own integration agreement with the government and within this agreement allows for the church to retain ownership of the buildings and its Catholic character while being able to access funding nearly on the same footing as state schools relating to curriculum.
We are encouraged to see Jesus in all we meet. We are encouraged to pray and know that Jesus is the reason that makes our school different from all of the other schools in Taumarunui. This is our Special Catholic Character.
Prayer is central to what we do, our school day starts with prayer, our staff pray together, we encourage our students into a life of prayer.
Our Special Catholic Character defines the quality of our relationships. It reminds us that when there is conflict, that we need to return to the sacredness that is in all of us and acknowledge that, although we can all mistakes, it is important to take responsibility, to forgive the other and ourselves and then to move on. It is the 'putting right the counts.'
We are known as a State Integrated school, part of the State Integrated school system in New Zealand of which the Catholic church represents the largest group of schools.
Prior to 1975, Catholic schools were private entities that had formed in communities by parish communities who desired a catholic education for their children and so 'built' the schools and actively sort religious orders to staff their schools.
At St Patrick's the community encouraged the Sisters of St Joseph of the Scared Heart, 'the Brown Joes', an Australian based order founded by St Mary of the Cross MacKillop who became Australia's first Saint in 2016. This order of sisters worked with poor children and families and followed the workers into Taumarunui actually down the main trunk line. The charisma of the Josephites is very much part of the school's ethos in echoing Mary MacKillop's words' 'never see a need without doing something about it.'
With the passing of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act in 1975, the then private 'church' schools had the opportunity to enter the state education system which allowed schools who entered, access to state funding while maintaining their 'Catholic identity.' Each school has their own integration agreement with the government and within this agreement allows for the church to retain ownership of the buildings and its Catholic character while being able to access funding nearly on the same footing as state schools relating to curriculum.
Greetings from our Principal, Mr McMillan
It is my pleasure to lead the teaching team of St Patrick's Catholic School here in Taumarunui.
It is our Catholic Special Character that defines who we are. At its heart is our relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. We celebrate this personal relationship by what we say and what we do and how we show respect for each other as unique creations of God as we strive and encourage each other to become more fully human.
Our school is extremely fortunate to have a small team of dedicated teaching and support staff who are delivering a learning programme that follows both the New Zealand Curriculum framework and the teachings of Christ as articulated by the Catholic Church.
Our school is part of the Catholic Integrated Schools system which has great respect from the community of New Zealand at large. Catholic Schools are known for delivering an education that is holistic in nature and of a uniformly high quality. Many of our community leaders have a Catholic Education that has been the basis of their success.
I like to offer an open door policy, so please come in and see me. Currently I am teaching most mornings, so it's best to make an appointment so that I can be available to talk with you
Haere mai, welcome to our school!
God bless
Richard McMillan
March 2023
It is my pleasure to lead the teaching team of St Patrick's Catholic School here in Taumarunui.
It is our Catholic Special Character that defines who we are. At its heart is our relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. We celebrate this personal relationship by what we say and what we do and how we show respect for each other as unique creations of God as we strive and encourage each other to become more fully human.
Our school is extremely fortunate to have a small team of dedicated teaching and support staff who are delivering a learning programme that follows both the New Zealand Curriculum framework and the teachings of Christ as articulated by the Catholic Church.
Our school is part of the Catholic Integrated Schools system which has great respect from the community of New Zealand at large. Catholic Schools are known for delivering an education that is holistic in nature and of a uniformly high quality. Many of our community leaders have a Catholic Education that has been the basis of their success.
I like to offer an open door policy, so please come in and see me. Currently I am teaching most mornings, so it's best to make an appointment so that I can be available to talk with you
Haere mai, welcome to our school!
God bless
Richard McMillan
March 2023
