2024 Junior Academic Award Winners
December 13, 2024
Congratulations and thank you to the following junior students who have been recognised for their contributions to service, academic excellence and sport. Year 7 Award
Academic Enhancement
OUR FUTURE-FOCUSED PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
The needs of both the modern world and the future world are rapidly changing. At Sancta Maria we aim to encourage aspirational learning with inspirational teaching, equipping our students with the knowledge, the skills and the character needed to grasp the opportunities the future world will provide.
We promote curiosity, creativity, collaboration and the learning of future-focused capabilities.
Students at Sancta Maria College are active learners, having agency in their learning through choice, autonomy, student voice, self-assessment and proactive approaches.
Learning in our classrooms extends the more able students through acceleration, enhancement and enrichment, providing them with opportunities to explore, research, present and problem-solve.
Future-focused learning means ensuring our students are adaptive and cognitively agile, being able to synthesise information and apply critical discernment in order to be successful in the world of tomorrow.
A LEARNING COMMUNITY – TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
Sancta Maria College strives to provide learning which is interesting, engaging and relevant for all students. As a community of learners we place high value on the professional learning of all of our teachers.
Every teacher at Sancta Maria College is involved in on-going, intensive professional learning in order to best meet the diverse needs of our learners in an ever-changing social and educational landscape.
Our teachers have undertaken professional learning in many areas over the past few years, including:
Personalised Learning
Student Agency
Digital Learning
Literacy
Cultural Responsiveness
Future-Focused Capabilities / Lifelong Learning
Curiosity and Creativity
Connection and Collaboration
Boys’ Learning
Learning Support
Sancta Maria College is an inclusive community where every student is valued. Children with special educational needs are supported and extended first and foremost by their class teacher to fully participate in a quality curriculum as an equal member of our community.
Additional support for literacy and numeracy is provided by our Learning Support Department and is undertaken both within the mainstream classroom and in small groups.
In the junior school, specialist Language Support classes provide additional literacy learning to students who are identified as requiring it.
Library
Our vision is “to create a welcoming, organised space where a love of reading is fostered and where students acquire the skills and confidence to become highly independent and critical users and creators of information.”
Sancta Maria College takes great pride in its library and in the services it delivers to staff and students. The facilities are modern, inviting and well patronised. Separate library spaces have been designed to accommodate classes of students working cooperatively, at the same time as providing quiet space for students reading or studying individually. Computers and photocopiers are available for student use.
We believe the library is the academic heart of the campus; a place to extend student education beyond the required curriculum.
Our passionate, experienced and well qualified staff have developed a broad collection of resources and services to match the diverse and dynamic needs of the school community.
The library is open from 8.00am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Careers Guidance
At Sancta Maria College we have a dynamic and proactive Careers Department helping students to identify, plan and strive for their aspirations for the future.
The Careers Centre has a wide range of resources and services available to all students including access to a wide variety of career-based websites.
The department offers a range of services which include:
- Individualised career guidance and action plans for all Year 12 and 13 students
- One-on-one interviews for all other students by appointment
- Scholarships workshops and assistance with application forms and references
- Pathways Planning with the Annual Career Expo and Careers Week
- On-going assistance with the option choices for the following year
- Maori and Pacific Island career events
- Gateway – a work-based learning programme for senior students
- STAR – a government-funded resource which allows students to attend vocational/tertiary based taster courses
- Opportunities for students to attend familiarisation days at tertiary institutions
- Guest speakers covering academic as well as trade subjects
- Preparation for the world of work including CVs and interview techniques
- Visits from liaison staff of tertiary institutions to help students with applications
- Career experience days with a variety of employers including hospitals, law firms and architects
Career Education is integrated into the curriculum across all year levels providing students with regular opportunities to develop self-awareness, reflect on their goals and to explore future pathways available to them.
Pathways
STAR
The Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) is a government funded programme aimed at assisting senior students find a suitable pathway into work or further study. STAR courses are commonly known as ‘taster’ courses for an industry a student may find appealing as a career option. They are a fun and practical way of having a taste of the industry along with the opportunity to gain NCEA Unit Standards. Some typical courses available include animal care, tourism, beauty and the building trades.
Trades Up
In previous years students have constructed an Alpine Shelter (pergola) with washing facilities and electrical supply. This is the course for those students wanting to learn about the building and carpentry, plumbing or electrical trades.
2024 Junior School Special Character Award Winners
December 10, 2024
Congratulations and thank you to the following junior students who have been recognised for their contributions towards the Special Character of our school: Kevin Chen
2024 Junior Trophy Award Winners
December 10, 2024
We would like to congratulate the following Junior school Trophy Award winners for 2024: Ali Afakasi Award winner Nicholas Jackson-Potter Outstanding Scholar in Literacy Award
