Catholic Ethos Statement:

St. Mary’s Special School  is a co-educational Catholic Special school under the patronage of the Bishop of Meath. Our school aims to promote the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the pupil: intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual, including a living relationship with God and with other people.  Our school strives to create a learning environment where every child is encouraged and enabled to develop to their full and unique potential as human beings, made in the image and likeness of God.

The school models and promotes a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Together, the Board, the principal and the staff, working with the Patron, the parents and the local parish, model a living human-religious-Christian educational tradition which nurtures the faith of Catholic pupils in a manner that is welcoming to and inclusive of pupils committed to other religious traditions.

The Board of Management and the teachers have adopted the Grow in Love programme approved and recommended by the Irish Hierarchy for use in Catholic schools.

The programme incorporates the recommended approach to religious education for the reception of the Sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Whole School Approaches:

Meaningful pictures and artworks are on display throughout the school building.

The major Catholic and local feasts are celebrated. They are marked with the aid of signs and symbols displayed throughout the school. Resource packs are available to all teaching staff containing work appropriate to each class grouping so that meaningful work can be planned for each feast and celebration:

• Feast of All Saints/ All Souls
• Advent – the Advent Wreath
• Christmas – Crib and tree
• Feast of Brigid – traditional crosses
• Feast of Patrick – depiction of story and shamrock
• Lent – symbols of repentance and ashes
• Easter – symbols of the new life of resurrection
• Pentecost – artistic depiction of the coming of the Holy Spirit
• Feast of St. John – June 24th/ August 29th

Liturgical celebrations are held on the following occasions:

• Harvest Mass
• All Souls Mass
• Christmas Mass
• Graduation Mass
• Blessing of Ashes
• Times of trauma or crisis

Various Class prayer services in accordance with suggestions made in the Grow in Love Programme.

The pupils of the school also join:

• At the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation
• Catholic Week
• School Assemblies
• Family Masses throughout the year
• Other liturgical celebrations in cooperation with the Parish
• Parish celebrations
• Fundraising : Trocaire, women’s refuge etc
• Visit to Holy places e.g. Lourdes
• Visitation of the church is encouraged during the school year.