Kolbe Catholic College aspires to ignite a passion for learning in students who, inspired by the witness of Jesus Christ and the example of St Maximilian Kolbe, will strive for excellence and contribute to their global community with Faith, Courage and Compassion.

Introduction

The constitution of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS) contains a Statement of Mission, which provides the expectations of the sole member of MACS, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (Member), for Catholic schooling and the identity and work of a Catholic school. The Statement of Mission positions MACS firmly in the reality of the Eucharistic character of the Catholic school, affirming that its enterprise is one that builds community and provides opportunity for personal transformation.

With parents and parishes, Catholic schooling seeks to fulfil this mission by providing an environment in which students are enabled to:

• encounter God in Christ and deepen their relationship with him
• pursue wisdom and truth encouraged by a supportive academic culture
• grow in the practice of virtue, responsible freedom and serving the common good.

A Catholic school:

• is actively embedded in the life of the faith communities of the local Church, which in turn is tangibly manifested in the life of each school
• is an essential place for the evangelising of children and young people
• exists to assist students, and their families, to integrate faith, reason, life and culture
• is conspicuously Christian in outlook, explicitly Catholic in faith and practice, and intentionally missionary in orientation
• cultivates spiritual, social and emotional growth in a safe and protective environment
• provides a learning environment in which the whole educational community is formed to embrace life in all its fullness (Jn 10.10)
• offers a human formation that has the intellectual, practical and moral excellence of learners at its heart
• forms consciences, fosters peace and develops respectful dialogue, at the service of intellectual charity
• encourages the discovery of Catholic cultural heritage, especially in art, music, literature and architecture.

Kolbe Catholic College is a school which operates with the consent of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and is owned, operated, and governed by MACS.

Kolbe Catholic College is a Catholic secondary/co-educational school which has been established to provide quality education in the Catholic doctrine for families in the Hume area.

Values

Kolbe Catholic College places a strong emphasis on the personal, academic, social, and spiritual growth of each young person who attends the College. In doing so, all members of our school community are guided in the example of St Maximilian Kolbe, his legacy of “Faith, Courage and Compassion” and his commitment to serving God through compassion and commitment to supporting the less fortunate. Our College motto, and how we live this on a day-to-day basis, is a key focus for all students and staff. As a College community, we approach this through the Pastoral Care, Wellbeing and Faith and Religious Education, and educational Programs. As members of the community, our students can identify and practice the following key set of values and actions:

Key Values:

• Beliefs

• Catholicism

• Centrality of Jesus

• Compassion

• Courage

• Environmentally Aware

• Faith

• Hope

• Humility

• Justice

• Pride

• Respect

• Spiritual Growth

• Strength

• Striving for the Best

• Trust

Our Actions:

• Believe in our God and his promise

• Accept

• Care

• Commit

• Communicate

• Cooperate

• Be encouraging of others

• Be happy

• Be honest

• Be kind

• Lead

• Listen

• Be patient

• Be considerate

• Be a positive role model

• Be responsible

• Be reverent

• Make sacrifices

• Be social

• Embrace House Spirit

• Be generous

• Be passionate

• Be Selfless

For our students this means that they are committed to always working towards:

• Respecting the individuality and particular needs of all of God’s people.
• Developing relationships that respect the dignity, rights, opinions, and freedoms of others.
• Acting in a responsible and courteous manner.
• Reaching out and providing support to the less fortunate within our community.
• Follow all school rules when interacting with each other.
• Ask questions of their teacher if they are unsure of what is expected of them.
• Striving for personal excellence in all they do.

Objectives

At Kolbe Catholic College we aim to empower children and young people to take their place in a contemporary, global society as valued individuals, alive with the wisdom of the gospel.

Philosophy enactment

At Kolbe Catholic College, our school philosophy, which includes the vision, mission, values and objectives, will be central to all our policies, practices and teaching and learning programs.

The school’s philosophy is published on our school website as well as in our key policies such as our enrolment policy.

Reporting

The MACS Board will ensure schools have implemented a contextualised school philosophy using this template through the annual report to the school community and regular school review processes (at least once every four years).