By connecting to the real world of students’ lives, authentic learning enables students to become lifelong learners who contribute to society and the wider world as active and discerning citizens. Authentic learning is central to our work as Catholic educators because it promotes the continual growth and wellbeing of the whole person — spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically.

Together, we are explorers of our world and ourselves, and as a result, the learning approach required to prepare our students for life beyond the Marist College Kogarah gates needs to be agile. A high priority at the college is to satisfy the needs of students by providing learning opportunities that act as catalysts for boys to work together, fostering their growth and ownership. Instead of looking back at problems, we look forward to solve them. We embrace risk-taking deeply rooted in the achievement of extraordinary things, aiming to unlock the maximum potential of our students, not just their minimum competence. We welcome change, innovation, and the search for challenges that will shape and measure the best of their energies and prowess.

Our teachers follow in the footsteps of St Marcellin Champagnat by being present to our students in ways that show we care for them. Both personally and collectively as a staff, we seek to establish relationships with them, founded on love, which create a climate for learning, passing on values, and fostering personal growth. We instill in every student an expectation of success, recognizing that motivation, engagement, and self-belief drive achievement. The college’s motto, “Finis Coronat Opus – the end crowns the work,” is at the heart of ensuring that our graduates are successful learners. We value the quest for excellence through adventure, curiosity, collaboration, and creativity, nurturing independent, resilient, confident, and empathetic young men equipped to flourish in the future.

The college acknowledges our students when they demonstrate an ability to perform, achieve, and excel in academic activities. Students are encouraged to strive for academic excellence to maximise development of their intellectual capacities and skills as the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skilful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities. As a college we celebrate the success of our students who have developed a strong capacity to learn and play an active role in their own learning, by showing initiative and using their creative abilities.