ABOUT US

At Joseph's School Waitara is very much a small "family style" school. St Joseph’s School Waitara is an integrated Catholic Primary School for boys and girls inclusive of Year 0 to Year 8 children. We have a distinct dimension within our school, which is referred to as the “Special Character”. Within this, we are able to live and teach the values of Christ Jesus. Our School WAKA values, Whanaungatanga, Aroha, Kaitiakitanga and Aumangea are woven throughout our whole curriculum and learning.

All staff know all students and all students know all staff. This means personal involvement, effort and achievement is recognised and acknowledged on an individual basis, and that every person matters. We are an inclusive school, welcoming students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs. Students are encouraged to interact with others across the school in a supportive and caring manner.

At St Joseph's School Waitara, the students are our focus. Their development as successful individuals in all areas of the curriculum is what we strive to achieve. As a small school, our students are able to get involved in many opportunities and to develop their leadership skills in a variety of ways. Students have a real voice within our school, and our curriculum delivery is responsive to student and community needs and interests.

Community engagement is very important to us at St Joseph's School Waitara. We want to work together with parents, whānau and the wider community to ensure that all of our learners learn and achieve across and beyond the curriculum.

Vision and Values

Vision: Within a supportive Catholic Community, we challenge our students to achieve academic success, spiritual growth and positive citizenship, personalised learning and contribution to society.

Values Our School values are: WAKA - Whanaungatanga (Relationships), Aroha (Love/Respect), Kaitiakitanga (Responsibility), Aumangea (Resilience)

At St Joseph’s Waitara, our Gospel values are the foundation of who we are and how we live, learn, and play together. Grounded in the teachings of Jesus and guided by our Catholic faith, these values – Whanaungatanga (Relationships), Aroha (Love and Respect), Kaitiakitanga (Responsibility), and Aumangea (Resilience) – shape our school culture every day.

Whanaungatanga – Relationships
Whanaungatanga is about building strong, positive relationships where everyone belongs. Jesus showed us that we are one body in Christ, called to care for each other and work for the common good. When we live Whanaungatanga, we look beyond ourselves and make choices that help the whole community to grow and thrive.

Aroha – Respect
Aroha is love in action and reminds us that every person is made in the image of God. Jesus treated all people with dignity and compassion, especially the poor, the sick and those on the margins. Living Aroha means respecting others, showing kindness, and recognising the God-given value in every human life.

Kaitiakitanga – Responsibility
Kaitiakitanga is caring for God’s gifts with love and gratitude. Jesus often spoke about seeds, soil and creation to show us how precious the earth is. We are called to be good stewards, protecting the environment and using our talents wisely so that everyone can share in God’s blessings, now and in the future.

Aumangea – Resilience
Aumangea is courage and perseverance, trusting in God even when life is hard. Jesus showed Aumangea through his passion and death, never giving up on his mission of love. We are invited to participate fully in our communities, to face challenges with faith and hope, and to encourage one another to keep going with strength of spirit.

These values are not just taught – they are lived. Whether we’re in the classroom, on the playground, at prayer, or working in our local environment, our tamariki are encouraged to:

Build positive, caring relationships with others
Show kindness, empathy, and respect
Take responsibility for themselves, others, and God’s creation
Face challenges with courage and a hopeful heart

Our Gospel values help each learner to grow not just academically, but spiritually, socially, and emotionally. They remind us that we are all part of God’s family, learning to live in love and truth, just as Jesus taught us.

Our Logo

St Joseph's Waitara Logo is linked to our local curriculum. The Mountain (mounga) represents Mt Taranaki. This has the river (awa), the sea (moana), the land (whenua) woven throughout the logo to represent our local environment. The cross represents our Catholic Faith and the koru design is lifelong learning.

Our History

St Joseph’s school ( formerly St Patrick’s ) was staffed by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. These Mission Sisters begin with the story of the courage, faith and hope of four young French Sisters who came to New Zealand following the inspiration of Euphraise Barbier. She inspired the RNDM way of life, spirit and the Charism that now belongs to our school.

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 on the same footing as state schools relating to curriculum.

Our Facilities

We have just had the interior of all of our classes done. We have modern classes with wet areas and a break out space in between the classes.

There are 6 classes and a library. We have a school swimming pool and our fields are spacious. There are netball and basketball courts and we have a brand new playground that was finished in February 2023. Along our school fields we have the wetlands in which we use these for Environmental and outdoor learning programmes.

Our Parish is situated right next to our school.

Tohu Design

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