Zach Burton (right), Year 2 at St Mary’s, Carterton, with his chook, ‘Bling’ applies the principles of Catholic character to animals.
‘I saved her from the chook farm in Judgeford. When I got her she didn’t know how to walk or peck or duck. She had been kept in a small cage where she had only room to lay eggs and eat. Luckily the SPCA has now closed down that chook farm. Bling can duck, run around, have dust baths and she is now happy.’
Students are encouraged to be inclusive, respectful and forgiving. They actively use prayer and meditation as a tool for hope, praise and gratitude.
Visitors to the school are assured of a warm and accepting welcome from all they meet.
Parents congregate and enjoy each other’s company, supporting the Friends of St Mary’s with their social organisations helping to keep alive a sense of home and of belonging.
Parishioners also contribute to the life of the school by helping with school functions and supporting the school community wherever possible. School and parish often share liturgies and enjoy celebrating the experiences associated with worshipping as a community.
Meanwhile, in Petone, pupils at Sacred Heart School (left) take the walking bus to school.
A walking school bus is a group of parents rostered to walk with children to and from school. Children are picked up and dropped off at specific stops on a designated route.
Walking buses are a safe way to keep children healthy and fit and they protect the environment. Reducing the number of cars on the roads means cleaner air, oceans, rivers and streams, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.