Our school motto, Misericordia, means mercy. Mercy is God’s compassion; God’s loving kindness reaching out to all. Mercy is love in action. Misericordia highlights our historical connection to the spirit of the Mercy Sisters, founded by Catherine McAuley. Catherine, whose qualities included compassion, humility, friendliness, prayerfulness, a strong sense of giving, courage, sympathy, peacefulness, gentleness and love, was a strong advocate for women in her day. Above all, Catherine encouraged and lived a life of charity.
We recognise St. Vincent de Paul, a priest, after whom our school is named. Vincent lived a life of service. He revolutionised religion by returning to the basics Jesus taught; feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted, nursing the sick, caring for children and the elderly. There was no human suffering that he did not seek to relieve. Vincent also founded the Sisters of Charity.
We acknowledge that our school covenant guides our daily actions. Together our community is called to contribute to the shared stories and vibrant memories of St. Vincent’s School. Our covenant, together with the attributes of our religious patrons, Vincent and Catherine provides us with our Mercy Qualities:
Quality Relationships
Responsibility
Care and Compassion
Spirituality and Faith
Honesty, Integrity and Trustworthiness
Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
Dignity and Justice
Stewardship
Embracing Life
At St. Vincent’s we strive to live our everyday lives according to the Mercy Qualities. Together, staff, children and parents endeavour to build and maintain a community which values quality relationships and where we each strive to be more like Jesus.
The Mercy Qualities Program seeks to further develop our children as well rounded community members who are value based in their decision making and imbued with a sense of God.
Mercy Qualities Program Definitions
Our qualities are the positive personal traits that we show through our every day actions and decisions.
Quality Relationships
I value quality relationships. I have good relationships when I:
Listen to others
Work and play cooperatively
am a positive team member
use my manners
respect and treat others fairly
am thoughtful about the feelings of others
support others in need
forgive others
Responsibility
I use my initiative to make the right choices. I am responsible when I:
follow class and school rules
manage my own feelings and behaviour
wear the St Vincent’s uniform with pride
am punctual
am reliable and dependable
am a positive role model
Care and Compassion
I nurture and care for myself and others. I show care and compassion when I:
solve conflict with dignity and care
welcome others
am kind
am generous with my resources (time, money, talents)
respect myself and others
consider another person’s point of view
Spirituality and Faith
I recognise God in myself in others and in the world around me. I live my faith by:
actively participating in class and school liturgies
showing reverence
being prayerful and reflective
caring for God’s creation
being sensitive to others and the environment
respecting other people’s expression of faith
Honesty, Integrity and Trustworthiness
I am honest in my words and actions. I show honesty, integrity and trustworthiness when I:
am true to myself and I stand up for what I believe in
make good decisions in difficult situations
tell the truth
admit when I make a mistake
show others I’m trustworthy
Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
I know and do what is needed to live harmoniously. I show Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion when I:
work and play harmoniously
welcome others
respect others even when they speak, look or act differently to me
positively acknowledge other people’s differences
Dignity and Justice
I recognise injustices in our community and our world. I show dignity and justice when I:
serve those less fortunate than me
contribute positively to the lives of others
acknowledge my mistakes and rectify them
am thankful for my privileged life
solve conflict with dignity and care
recognise the needs of others, especially those less fortunate
respect other people’s views
Stewardship
I serve others and the environment. I show stewardship when I:
help around my school and my home
clean up our playground and look after our gardens
offer assistance to others
see a problem and I take action
am environmentally aware
give my time for a worthy cause (eg. Minnie Vinnies, Environment Committee, Carbon Cop, Clean up Australia Day)
respect God’s creation
Embracing Life
I make the most of every opportunity. I embrace life when I:
strive to be my best and improve my work and behaviour when needed
bounce back and learn from my difficulties (I am resilient)
am optimistic
challenge myself and persist even when things get hard
use my talents confidently
have a positive attitude to life and learning
am a self directed learner
contribute positively to the community
