- Sancta Maria College, New Zealand
Infobox NZ school
name = Sancta Maria College
badge =
motto = Faith is our compass
type = State integrated co-ed secondary, years 7-13
established = 2004
address = 319 Te Irirangi Drive
Howick South
principal = Paul Daley
roll = 700+
decile = 8 [ [http://www.minedu.govt.nz/web/downloadable/dl7698_v1/decile-changes-2007-2008-web-state-s-integ.xls Decile change 2007 to 2008 for state & state integrated schools] ]
MOE = 491
homepage = http://www.sanctamaria.school.nzSancta Maria College is a new co-ed Catholic School in
Auckland ,New Zealand . It is named after theschooner on which Bishop Pompallier travelled around New Zealand.The Name
The College is named after the mission schooner Sancta Maria on which Bishop Jean Baptist Pompallier sailed around New Zealand. The name Sancta Maria is a Latin title for Mary the mother of God. It means Holy Mary.
Bishop Pompallier, who is a specially honoured pioneer of the New Zealand Catholic Church, arrived in the Hokianga from France in 1838 with a group of Marist Priests and Brothers. With this group, he sailed around New Zealand converting settlers to Catholicism in the early 1840s.
Fathers Garin and Viard who accompanied Bishop Pompallier established Churches in Howick and Panmure. Bishop Pompallier devised his own flag for the vessel - a bunting version of the Miraculous Modal, It consisted of a blue cross surmounting a large M and surrounded by twelve stars. The background was white. These twelve stars have been incorporated into the school logo along with the Sancta Maria and the school's motto 'FAITH IS OUR COMPASS'.
The College’s name commemorates the historic arrival and work of Bishop Pompallier. There is a comparison between the vessel Sancta Maria being used to spread the Word and our College being a vessel for furthering the Religious Education of young people in the area.
History
Sancta Maria College was built in 2004 and was used as a 'transfer' school from St Mark's and Star of the Sea Primary schools in Howick and Pakuranga, New Zealand.Not much has happened since building, as the school is only four years old, but there has been a notable increase in the population of students and the school has also been expanded.When It was first built, Sancta Maria College only supported students from years 7-10, as there weren't enough teachers, but now it is a years 7-13 school.
Education
Sancta Maria College offers NCEA as its national qualifications standard. They have a system of 'impositions' for misbehaviour which can lead up to a detention. Such strict rules are considered bad by pupils but parents love the strict sense.
Houses
The houses of Sancta Maria College are named after ports or harbours in New Zealand at which Bishop Pompallier's schooner landed.The four houses are:
* Akaroa - Yellow* Waitemata - Green
* Kororareka - Red
* Hokianga - Blue
References
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