Vision, Philosophy and Values


VISION

St Columban's College, enlivened by the mission of Jesus and Blessed Edmund Rice, seeks to nurture the potential of all in our community. We aim to foster strong habits of the mind and heart through encouraging active presence and compassion. We work towards creating authentic relationships which serve to strengthen our spirit, tradition, and community. Through compassion, courage, creativity, and commitment we aim to equip our students so that they can make change in a complex world. We do this so that each student is empowered, liberated and hope-filled to make a positive difference in the world for all. ​


 

MISSION

We are a Christ centred learning community believing in liberation through education and empowering all to make a positive difference in the world

 

PURPOSE STATEMENT​​

As a faith filled learning community we seek to: 

  • Instil in students a love of learning

  • Foster growth and awareness of spiritual development within the Catholic tradition and through the lens of the Edmund Rice tradition

  • Provide care, challenge, and support to students so they develop into discerning young adults who respect their own uniqueness and uphold the dignity of others

  • Ensure the 4 Touchstones: inclusive community, justice and solidarity, gospel spirituality and liberating education underpin every facet of College life

  • Empower students to become positive agents for change in an increasingly complex world

VALUES

The Values of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Brisbane·       

·         Our Christian tradition – journeying, growing, renewing

·         Dignity and Justice for all – recognition of human dignity and equality

·         Catholic Christian community – service of others, a joyful presence

·         High quality learning – zest for life, learning, quality achievement

·         Collaboration and subsidiarity – “shared wisdom"

·         Creativity – flexible and future oriented

·         Stewardship – responsible, accountable, seek truth and the right way

·         A mutual accountability – report on outcomes


The overarching goal for learning is to empower learners of all ages to shape and enrich our changing world by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our Catholic College is:

·         A supporting, learning community which plans from the roles of lifelong learning, consistently, explicitly and creatively for every learner

·         A place of modelling social justice

·         A place of welcoming inclusivity, particularly to marginal groups

·         A place where families meet other families

·         A place that connects older and younger people

·         A place that supports and connects youth

·         A place where opportunities for evangelisation are created and harnessed

·         A place where the Catholic community can access outreach programs

·         A place where the local Catholic community can come together to celebrate Eucharist and access spiritual formation programs


 

EDMUND RICE ASSOCIATE SCHOOL

 As a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition, we aspire to be faithful to these four touchstones:

 

                                                                                                                  © Edmund Rice Education Australia (2018)​​​

CHALLENGE TO A PARTNERSHIP OF EXCELLENCE

If your family becomes associated with St Columban's College, we will commence a partnership together.

The College for its part will:

·         Provide an environment of spiritual reflection, in which every person is encouraged to think about their life journey and themselves as a person

·         Provide learning experiences to prepare students for their various roles in life

·         Keep relationships that are respectful at the centre of all that it does

·         Provide a place in which people are listened to, feel safe and valued

·         Maintain and demand the highest of personal expectations in all that students do

As a student you will be asked to:

·         Be respectful of the Catholic / Christian nature of the College by the way in which you behave towards yourself and others

·         Commit to learning to the best of your ability, and to respect the rights of others to learn without interference
(This means being attentive in class and completing a program of home study)

·         Agree to participate fully in the co-curricular learning activities of the College
(This will mean attending all special days and events of importance to St Columban's and staying back sometimes after school and could involve sport on some Saturday mornings)

·         Make sure all your relationships are respectful
(This means caring for others by not gossiping, bullying or excluding)

·         Agree to uniform and grooming requirements
(This means wearing the uniform correctly at all times, no jewellery, haircuts to follow College guidelines, etc.)


As parents you will be asked to:​

·         Share the important knowledge you have about your son or daughter to help us to do a better job of meeting their needs

·         Communicate fully with the College in order to maintain a quality working relationship (This might mean ringing to clarify issues that are unresolved or telling the College about something your son or daughter has said or telling us if there are warning signs of sadness. Occasionally it is uplifting to hear about the good we do too!)

·         Supporting the values, processes and procedures of the College, including supporting your student to achieve their commitment above

·         Find a small but practical way to show interest and commitment to your student's education at the College.  (This means being interested in and talking regularly with your student about their progress at school. It may also mean being present at school in one of the following possible ways – attending parent teacher meetings / evenings or helping once a month at Tuckshop or attending a P&F meeting or coming to watch a performance put on by your child (sport, cultural or academic) or serving at a function)