Catholic Character

St. Joseph’s is a Catholic state-integrated school.

It has three distinguishing features

• It is embedded in the Catholic Church. 
• The Proprietor, who is Bishop Richard Laurensen has ownership of the school’s integrated land and buildings. 
• It is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Proprietor has the right to appoint up to four members to the Board.

St. Joseph’s has an Integration Agreement.

This integration agreement was signed on 28th October 1981. 

This document establishes a partnership between the Proprietor and the Crown and;

• defines the school’s Special Character
• prescribes the religious instruction and observances that are to be part of the school programme
• determines the maximum roll of 120 students  and maximum percentage of 5% non-preference students who may be enrolled.
• provides for the charging of attendance dues.
• specifies the lands and buildings that are to be managed by the Board

Special Character 

The Special Character also known as Catholic Character refers to the general school programme, its religious instruction and observances and the right to live, teach and encounter Jesus Christ. 

It is the framework within which the whole school curriculum is delivered.

The following examples illustrate Special Character at St Joseph’s.

• Evangelisation – being storytellers of Jesus Christ
• Spiritual Guidance – liturgies, Masses, communal prayer, retreats, sacramental preparation.
• Pastoral Care – service to others, fundraising for overseas aid programmes helping and ‘reaching out’ to groups within our local community.
• Social Justice – involvement in Caritas (Church’s agency for justice, peace and development), human rights, environmental and sustainability issues.
• Particular Charism – maintaining and developing the religious values (charism) identified by the Sisters of St Joseph who established our school in Te Kuiti.
• Church festivals and feast days – St Joseph’s Day, St Mary of the Cross and other important days in the Church calendar that are celebrated.
• House Groups: Nikau, Rimu, Kahikatea