Why Our Core Values Matter

Something I really appreciate about our school is that once you’re in, it is easy to know who you are and what you must do.

Once you’re part of this school community, and you have become ‘one of us’, you can not only know what you are part of, but you can also understand who you are and how you fit into this school community.

There’s a ‘certain something’ about every school, isn’t there? There is always a ‘vibe’. So, knowing that every school has a vibe, and knowing that we: staff, students and parents are the ones who carry that vibe with us, it is nice to be able to clearly identify what our vibe must be.

MCC, who are we, and what are we to do?

The definition is simple. We are to be, and we are to do, our Core Values.

Core values are core. Yes, I know that seems like a ‘no brainer’. But for our Core Values to be core, they actually do have to be at the core, at the centre, at the hub of the whole organisation. For our Core Values to be central to the school, they must be so important that they define our success. Success is not far off. We move closer and closer towards success the more we partner together as parents and staff in the constructive schooling of your children.

Just so we are all clear, here are those Core Values, in no particular order, with a little explanation of each …

Christ Centeredness could sound a bit mystical and hard to understand, but it is not hard, it is really simple. Christ centredness simply means everything we say and everything we do is to be centred on the teachings of Christ. Fortunately, the teachings of Christ are wonderful. Jesus Christ teaches us things like this: be kind, do your best, be generous, be selfless, be patient, look after God’s good creation, be wise, use your gifts, love one another, etc.

Community means that in our school community, no one gets left behind. We succeed when we all succeed. And that means that we support one another’s learning and growth. We live, and we work, and we learn together with humility. A Christian school is to be much more than a service-provider, it is a wholistic, co-supportive community of parents, staff and students united in the goal of effective teaching and learning.

Excellence means that we each do our best to do our best … and we don’t compare best with best. We believe that everyone is gifted by God, and gifted uniquely, so success in a Christian school means doing your own best, using the unique gifts you have been given.

Passion for Teaching and Learning means whether we are teachers, or learners, or supporters of teaching and learning, we are passionate about the teaching-learning process. At our school, we expect the students to work with their teachers, never against them. We expect parents to be passionate supporters of learning, MCC parents would never undermine teachers or the learning process.

Respect means we honour one another. Our Christian faith teaches us that all people are little replicas of God, made in God’s image. That is why at our school respect goes in every direction. Everyone is worthy of respect, because everyone is God’s child, made in God’s likeness.

Let’s do all we can to be and to practice these five Core Values.

david gleeson, principal